Healthy marriage policy and programs are the “new kid on the block” in social policy. In the mid-90s several states and communities began to engage in marriage-related reforms and services designed to strengthen marriage and reduce divorce rates. In 2002, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) launched a Healthy Marriage Initiative and began funding research and service programs. This Introductory Guide provides a descriptive summary of the ACF Initiative in three parts:

(i) Demonstration grants funded under existing discretionary programs administered by several offices
and bureaus in ACF from 2002-2007;

(ii) Demonstration five-year grants funded in 2006 under the Healthy Marriage and Responsible
Fatherhood Act provisions of the Deficit Reduction Act (2005), administered by the Office of Family
Assistance; and

(iii) Research and evaluation activities funded since 2002 and administered by the Office of Policy, Research and Evaluation in ACF, designed to inform, improve and assess healthy marriage programs. Also included is a selection of research activities funded and administered by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), DHHS that relate to, and support, the goals of the ACF Healthy Marriage Initiative.