National Marriage Initiative

The federal Healthy Marriage Initiative, which provides funding for programs that promote marriage and offer education in marriage and relationship skills, began in the early 2000s but grew out [Page 1138]of concerns that had been expressed by political leaders for many years about declining marriage rates. This entry discusses the development of the initiative and the rationale behind it, how funding from the program is used, and the implications of the program and similar programs for counselors and educators.

Supporters of government programs to promote marriage have pointed to research indicating that children raised in single-parent homes are more likely to have emotional and behavioral problems, have lower academic achievement, use drugs, and become welfare recipients than children raised by two biological parents. Research has also ...