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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, April 6, 2006
Contact: ACF Press Office
(202) 401-9215
Website Gives Info on Building a Healthy Marriage
WWW.HEALTHYMARRIAGEINFO.ORG
launched to strengthen, sustain marriages
WASHINGTON, D.C. --- The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in partnership with five universities and Child Trends of Washington, D.C., today announced the National Healthy Marriage Resource Center (NHMRC) website. The website provides states, Indian tribes and other grantees with technical assistance, and provides resources to the general public to help build and sustain healthy marriages.
“This online resource center will help millions of Americans, who have chosen marriage for themselves, gain greater access to information about forming and sustaining a healthy marriage,” said HHS Assistant Secretary for Children and Families, Wade F. Horn, Ph.D. “It will help couples interested in marriage education services, educators, practitioners, leaders, organizations and researchers.”
The resource center website involves a collaboration of six institutions that have played a major role in raising the awareness of community efforts and programs that focus on strengthening marriages. These institutions are the University of Minnesota, Syracuse University, Texas Tech University, Brigham Young University, Norfolk State University and Child Trends research center.
The benefits of the resource center also include the following:
• To provide current information and resources for the public about healthy marriage programs and activities in their communities;
• To provide resources for practitioners and organizations wanting to implement healthy marriage programs and activities;
• To provide resources for organizational leaders interested in building community healthy marriage initiatives;
• To provide resources for individuals working to strengthen marriages through public policy; and
• To provide research findings and reviews for individuals, couples, practitioners, organizational leaders and researchers.
“We are hoping to engage the public in a national dialogue on the many issues that influence the quality of our marriages,” said NHMRC Director, Dr. Linda Malone-Colón. “The NHMRC website will give people from diverse communities and income levels the hope – and the tools – to improve their own relationships and marriages.”
To view the National Healthy Marriage Resource Center website, go to: www.healthymarriageinfo.org.
A total of $750 million in new funding is available over the next five years for programs to help teach couples – who have chosen marriage for themselves -- how to build and sustain healthy marriages and promote responsible fatherhood. The funding, part of this year’s welfare reform reauthorization law, includes $100 million per year for the Healthy Marriage Initiative and up to $50 million per year to promote responsible fatherhood from fiscal year 2006 through 2010.
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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at www.hhs.gov/news