Marriage and relationship education (MRE) andresponsible fatherhood (RF) programs share the goalof improving the lives of children by strengtheningthe interpersonal skills of their parents. The origins of these program areas are distinct: MRE beganprimarily as a way to prepare couples for marriagewhereas RF was originally designed to prepareunmarried fathers to reconnect with their childrenand families. However, a common purpose has emerged between the two fields. According to the U.S. Census, more than 2.5 million children areraised in families without their biological father. This statistic…
Brief
In the late 1990s, a handful of states began to fund healthy marriage and relationship (HMR) programs and initiatives intended as a promising new strategy for strengthening families and improving child well-being. The states were soon followed by the federal government, which launched a healthy marriage initiative in 2002. The following questions initially were raised about this new policy development:1. What are the reasons why government should get involved in what is surely a private matter or a matter for individuals, couples and faith-based institutions? Why should marriage and couple…
Marriage and relationship education (MRE), HeadStart and Early Head Start are all educationalprograms that help strengthen families and promotechild well-being. Recognizing this, the National HeadStart Association and the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) created a Memorandum ofUnderstanding (MOU) in 2008 to provide a framework for collaboration between ACF Healthy Marriage/Responsible Fatherhood Initiatives and Head Start to provide interested families with MRE services. This Tip Sheet will provide a brief overview of how the two programs, working together, can benefit families…
Other
This proclamation by Michael A. Nutter, Mayor of the City of Philadelphia, declared March 2009, as Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Month.
Unpublished Paper
Strict criminal justice policies, such as long-term sentences, are interfering in the achievement of welfare reform goals to promote marriage and parental involvement. This report analyzes data from the Fragile Families Study to examine the impact of criminal justice policies on the likelihood that unwed parents will form a family together. A total of 3,600 unwed couples and 1,100 married couples are being interviewed at the time of their child's birth and five one-year intervals. Study participants are being recruited from 20 cities with different welfare regimes and labor markets.…
