The Building Strong Families Project is being funded by the United States Department of Health and Human Services to test the effectiveness of target activities designed to support the marriage of unwed parents. Demonstration programs will receive technical assistance in the establishment and evaluation of services that include training for parents about relationship skills, family […]
Family structure changed rapidly in the second half of the 20th century, with two-parent families increasingly replaced by other family forms. Divorce is common, one-third of all births occur out of wedlock, and cohabiting couples are widespread. The decline of marriage has been particularly evident in poor communities. In this societal context, three of the […]
This special issue focuses on the increasing disconnect between parenthood and marriage and how to make marriage more child centered. It begins by discussing the three levels of decline of the child centered marriage, including the weakening link between marriage and parenthood and the growing acceptance of unwed parenthood, the shift away from children within […]
Encouraging and strengthening marriage continues to move up the US’s social policy agenda. This analysis uses nationally representative data on cohabiting couples with children from the 2002 round of the National Survey of America’s Families (NSAF) to assess the actual marriage penalties or bonuses facing these couples. In addition to examining the consequences of current […]
There has been a sharp increase over the last two generations in the proportion of American children who do not live with their own two married parents, first spurred largely by increases in divorce, and more recently by large jumps in unmarried or cohabitating childbearing. A vigorous public debate sparked by these changes in family […]
This information packet provides facts and information about national marriage initiatives. It begins by discussing the recent involvement and investment of the government in marriage promotion, statistics on the economic gains from marriage, and recommendations for federal policies. Federal legislation addressing marriage is reviewed. A list of electronic resources is then provided, as well as […]
At a conference cosponsored by Center of the American Experiment and the Institute for American Values in February 2002 in Washington, D.C., American Experiment president Mitch Pearlstein moderated a panel discussion on the future of the marriage movement. This article includes excerpts from the panelists’ presentations and their discussions with one another and with participants. […]
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the number of parents in prison increased significantly during the 1990s. Parental incarceration and the disruption of family relationships have several negative effects on children, including poverty, poor academic performance, aggression, depression, delinquency, and substance abuse. However, parenting programs can help mothers and fathers in prison to strengthen […]
The Building Strong Families (BSF) project aims to foster the development of programs designed to enhance children's well being by helping new, unmarried parents build stronger relationships and achieve a healthy marriage if they so choose. The motivation and design of BSF programs draw heavily on findings about unmarried parents from the Fragile Families and […]
In response to the congressional mandate to promote two-parent families and marriage specified in the 1996 welfare reform legislation, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services embarked on an initiative to encourage healthy marriage in the broad population and especially within low-income groups. To support further […]