Healthy Marriage Initiative

"Turning the hearts of children to their parents, and the parents to their young is, indeed, the great hope of our efforts to strengthen marriages in America." ~ Wade F. Horn, Ph.D., Assistant Secretary of the Administration for Children and Families

The U.S. Census Bureau projects that 90% of all Americans will someday marry. Virtually all who marry aspire to a happy, healthy, lifelong marriage. ACF believes that government policy should play a supporting role in helping people achieve their aspirations for a healthy marriage.

The Healthy Marriage Initiative (HMI) of the Administration for Children and Families was established in 2001 to help individuals and couples develop "skills and knowledge necessary to form and sustain a healthy marriage."

Through the assistance of the regional office, any community or faith-based organization, social agency or interested individual can learn about and launch programs to support couples and families to form and sustain positive relationships. Program specialists offer assistance to groups and individuals by:

• Providing information about marriage education: effective programs and best practices;
• Consulting on how to access marriage education training, start a program or find funding;
• Facilitating meetings or seminars to help you start, design or sustain a marriage and family initiative in your organization or community;

Visit the Healthy Marriage Initiative website for more information on current ACF funding for healthy marriage, technical assistance, results of research and descriptions of effective marriage and family programs:

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/healthymarriage/index.html

To contact the Marriage and Family Program Specialist (or Healthy Marriage Specialist) in Region 1, please call or email:

Josephine Hauer, Ed.D.
JFK Federal Building Room 20
Boston, MA 02203
617-565-1123
email: jhauer@acf.hhs.gov