Policymakers

Government is involved with marriage in many ways. Tax laws, age restrictions, and providing grants to local service providers are just a few examples. In this section you will find information on policies that support healthy marriage. You can also access information on existing laws that govern marriage and families. In addition, we provide resources regarding domestic violence and fatherhood.

Why Healthy Marriage Matters: This section of the website identifies the ways in which the promotion of healthy marriages can have a positive impact on children, adults, and communities. It also provides links to more in-depth documents and resources for government officials and policymakers looking for more information.
Federal Healthy Marriage Initiative: The Administration for Children and Families has directed funding to states, universities and social service organizations to provide healthy marriage resources to their local communities.
State Healthy Marriage Activities: States have a vital interest in promoting healthy marriage as a way to increase or maintain economic self-sufficiency, improve child well-being, decrease nonmarital child bearing, and increase community stability. States also have a vital role to play in the efforts to encourage healthy marriages.
What Policymakers Say About Healthy Marriage: This section of the website includes examples of how various policymakers have publicly discussed marriage.
State Policies and Laws: This section of the website has resources with more in-depth information on how policies and laws vary from state-to-state and information on how states can use existing and developing policies and laws to promote and strengthen marriage.
Domestic Violence and Relationships: This section of the website includes resources on identifying domestic violence and resources.
Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood: In its efforts to increase the likelihood that children will grow up in a loving, secure, and connected family, the federal government, in addition to the healthy marriage initiative, has created a closely related initiative to promote responsible fatherhood.