This brief cites research that indicates children who grow up in healthy married, two-parent families do better on a host of outcomes than those who do not, and that many social problems affecting children, families, and communities could be prevented if more children grew up in healthy, married families. The federal Healthy Marriage Initiative is then explained and key components of the initiative are described. Components include implementing demonstration projects, emphasizing marriage in federal programs, conducting research, and providing training about healthy marriage issues. The federal legislation authorizing healthy marriage promotion and responsible fatherhood grants is included.