In recent decades, there has been a widening gap between higher rates of marital instability for economically disadvantaged couples and lower rates for nondisadvantaged couples. In addition, out-of-wedlock birth rates have risen, while evidence has grown that children fare better, on average, when raised by both of their parents in stable low-conflict households. All of […]
This report documents the results of implementation research in three of the Office of Child Support Enforcement Community Healthy Marriage Initiative (CHMI) pioneer sites: Boston, Massachusetts, Jacksonville, Florida, and Chicago, Illinois. It focuses on the three initiatives? roles in supporting healthy marriage and child support activities and presents a description and analysis of the early […]
Over 2.5 million students across the country complete their high school education each year. How many of these students will emerge from their adolescent years with the skills and information they need to choose a life partner and form a healthy marriage and stable family? To increase the odds that young people in Oklahoma will […]
In 1999, Oklahoma began to consider how state government might play a role in strengthening families and marriages. To achieve their goals, the governor and key leaders first sought support for a statewide marriage initiative. In the first few years of the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative (OMI) various strategies were tested; some worked as anticipated and […]
Existing evidence suggests that many married couples in the U.S. are managing stepfamily relationships. Empirical studies of stepfamily dynamics highlight the unique factors inherent in stepfamily marriages that impact their quality and stability, most notably the complexity of multiple relationships that exist at the onset of the marriage. Additional research on low-income populations suggests that […]
In an effort to reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies among welfare recipients, some states have imposed family caps on welfare benefits. One factor that determines the amount of cash benefits a family receives is the family’s size-larger families receive more benefits. In states with a family cap policy, however, no additional cash benefits are […]
While welfare reform in Colorado has been generally successful and innovative, government and community programs and partnerships have moved many families to self sufficiency, State leaders recognized that supporting the long-term success of all of Colorado’s families will require continued innovation and strong programmatic partnerships. Conference planners envisioned a meeting where “”policymakers from different communitysectors […]
Research has consistently shown that family structure can facilitate or limit the ways in which parents are able to positively influence the future outcomes of their children. What is less understood is in what domains family structure matters and the magnitude of its effects over time. This paper presents existing evidence on the association between […]
Part I: An Advocate’s Guide for all Immigrant Women Victims of Domestic Violence.–Part II: For Battered Women not yet Prepared to Leave the Relationship.–Part III: For Battered Women Who are Currently Leaving an Abusive Relationship or Who Have Already Left. (Author abstract, modified)
The Welfare Peer TA Network sponsored a multi-State TA event on July 15-16, 2003, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. This event was co-coordinated with Public Strategies, the public relations firm that manages the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative. The Administration for Children and Families’ Region VI, VII and IX Offices provided additional support, ensuring this event met State […]