Fact Sheets
African American
Healthy Marriage Initiative
A Targeted Strategy for Working Effectively with African American
Communities
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What is the African American Healthy
Marriage Initiative (AAHMI)?
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Healthy Marriage
Initiative seeks to improve child well-being by helping those who
choose marriage for themselves to develop the skills and knowledge
necessary to form and sustain healthy marriages. Research demonstrates
the strong correlation between family structure and a family’s
social and economic well-being. Congress recognized the fact that
two-parent, married families represent the ideal environment for
raising children and incorporated marriage, family formation and
fatherhood as key components in the welfare reform legislation,
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), enacted in 1996.
The AAHMI is a component of the ACF Healthy Marriage Initiative
and more specifically promotes a culturally
competent strategy for fostering healthy marriage and responsible
fatherhood, improving child well-being and
strengthening families within the African American Community. Cultural
orientation, traditions and practices form a
diversity of beliefs, attitudes, interpersonal styles and behaviors.
Differences in age, race, ethnicity, gender,
education, religious background and socioeconomic status can influence
how people and organizations view and
respond to ACF’s healthy marriage activities.
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Why is a focused strategy needed for
the African American Community?
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Perception that the healthy marriage initiative
has not considered the unique experiences of this population;
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Clear link between healthy marriage and
child well-being;
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Crisis-level statistics (e.g. rates of divorce
and non-married child-bearing)
1. 42% of African-American adults are married, compared to 61%
of whites & 59% of Hispanics (2003)
2. 12% divorce rate for African-American couples, compared to
10% for whites and 7% for Hispanics (2003)
3. 68% of AA births are to unmarried women, compared to 29%
for whites and 44% for Hispanics (2003)
4. 62% of AA households are headed by a single parent, compared
to 27% for whites and 35% for
Hispanics (2003)
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What does the focused strategy include?
Three components:
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Education and Communication
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Enhancement of Partnerships
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How has the AAHMI been implemented?
The AAHMI has reached out to external partners and stakeholders
and identified broad-based national and local
coalitions for the successful development and implementation of
this very important strategy. Through the use of
forums, high-profile endorsements, information dissemination, strengthening
partnerships with major private,
community, and national organizations, and increasing access to
community and ACF resources, the AAHMI has
helped to build the capacity in the African American community to
deliver marriage education services.
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