Many states have introduced initiatives to support healthy marriages as a way to improve the lives of children and communities. Empirical studies indicate that children from married two-parent families face fewer barriers to success than those from single parent homes. In light of these findings, some policymakers are developing initiatives aimed at strengthening marriages. States […]
This issue brief discusses State development and implementation of marriage education programs to strengthen families and improve outcomes for children. It describes the objectives of the programs and types of programs, and notes research results that indicate children raised in two-parent homes with low conflict levels have a lower risk of both academic and behavioral […]
Federal policies are encouraging states to strengthen marital relationships among low income populations as a strategy for improving child well being. Conducted to inform the design of marriage programs, this study examined the environment, setting, interventions, and client characteristics of existing services for couples. Twenty-eight visits were made to public health agencies, mental health programs, […]
There are a growing number of resources for state policymakers and program administrators who are interested in exploring initiatives to support healthy marriages in their state. Many of these resources can be accessed via the internet. The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices has compiled a list of key websites where states can access […]
In recognition of the role that strong marriages play in family functioning and child well being, the Bush administration is encouraging states to establish public awareness campaigns about the value of marriage, marriage skills training programs, the elimination of disincentives to marriage, and other services for couples. This study reviewed evaluation findings about the effectiveness […]
Funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF) set out to learn from programs and systems that are using community mobilization strategies to prevent and reduce family violence. This handbook distills learnings about organizing at the community level and provides advice culled from the experiences of site leaders and other […]
Plans to ensure the safety of children in homes affected by domestic violence must include interventions with batterers to alleviate the threat to all family members. This guide produced by the Massachusetts Department of Social Services Domestic Violence Unit describes strategies for interviewing and working with abusers. Emphasis is placed on holding offenders accountable for […]
On March 15, 2005, the Human Resources Subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee of the House of Representatives marked up the “”Personal Responsibility, Work, and Family Promotion Act of 2005″” (H.R. 240). The bill was then referred to the full committee. On March 17, the Senate Finance Committee marked up the “”Personal Responsibility and […]
We use data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study to explore how relationship quality among married and unmarried parents around the time of their baby’s birth and in the subsequent year is associated with parenting of one-year-old children. We examine two measures of relationship quality (supportiveness and frequency of conflict) and two domains […]
This report details the activities and accomplishments of the Healthy Marriage Initiative (HMI), a program launched in 2002 by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) within the Department of Health and Human Services to support the President’s goal of increasing healthy marriages by focusing attention and action on strengthening marriages and preparing interested individuals […]