My previous article began discussing the ACF Healthy Marriage Initiative in detail. The article listed the mission of the initiative and the reason why the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 was created. This article will continue giving details of the act and initiative.
There are several goals that go along with this government program. Some of the goals are listed below.
Have more children raised in two parent homes where the parents are in a healthy marriage.
Help couples that plan to get married have the skills for a successful and healthy marriage.
Help teens and young adults obtain the skills to make wise and healthy decisions about relationships.
Create more public awareness about how important healthy marriages are to society.
Reduce domestic violence.
Some of the following are activities that are considered to be suitable for promoting healthy marriages.
Advertising about the value of healthy marriages.
Creation of education courses for high school students about having healthy marriages and marriage skills.
Classes for couples who plan to marry.
Research studies on benefits of healthy marriages.
While much data is focused on what the ACF Healthy Marriage Initiative should be, there are also standards about what the initiative is not.
According to the initiative, it is not about “talking” people into marriage or to staying married unhappily. Nor is it about “putting down” single parents or those who are divorced. It is not about preventing people from getting a divorce. The initiative is not a dating service or a solution to getting families out of poverty situations.
The ACF Healthy Marriage Initiative is about drawing attention to the benefits of having a healthy marriage. While some previous discussion has been made about advertising marriage, I think that there may be both pros and cons to public awareness. Many would say that common sense would tell us that a healthy marriage is best. It is a concept that most people know but put little thought into. Seeing it in writing or hearing it over the radio helps us add more thought to our relationships with our spouses.