Office of Family Assistance
Healthy Marriage Demonstration Grant

Allowable Activities: Public advertising campaigns on the value of marriage and the skills needed to increase marital stability and health (#1) and education in high schools on the value of marriage, relationship skills and budgeting (#2).

Organization Description: Founded in 2002, Character Counts In Maine (CCM), doing business as Heritage of Maine, has delivered abstinence education that includes marriage preparation skill building for adolescents in communities across Maine over the past two years. Their Heritage Keepers abstinence until marriage curriculum teaches relationship skills which lead to the formation of safe and stable marriages. CCM has formed a coalition of civic and faith-based organizations, high schools, youth groups, churches and marriage education organizations known as the Main Community Partnership to bring healthy relationship education to high school adolescents.

Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: CCM plans to use funds for a public advertising campaign and to provide education in high schools on the value of marriage, relationship skills, and budgeting. Using the following curriculums: WAIT Training, ™ CCM, and Mvelopes,™ Character Counts expects to impact teen awareness of the value of healthy marriage, increase teen knowledge about the skills and behaviors that will improve their chances of having a stable and healthy marriage, modify behavior of high school adolescents in the areas of communication and conflict resolution to create positive behavior change and lead teens to the educational and skill-building relationship resources available on their web site.