A message from our director...
Families all across Sacramento are in crisis. Our divorce rate is higher than the national average and our marriage rate is lower than the national average. We are ranked seventh in California for the number of single female heads of household. More than one third of our children are being born to unmarried parents. As a consequence, Sacramento’s children are much less likely to spend their entire childhood in an intact, married family than they were 50 years ago. The institution of marriage is under attack. Our families and the children, women, and men connected with these families are all at risk.
Why should we care about the loss of marriage to our community? We know children do better when they are raised by their two married biological parents. They do better in school, get into less trouble, are healthier and delay sexual activity. Marriage is a hedge against poverty for women, and makes them less likely to be victims of domestic violence. Men are also healthier when they are married, and they are less likely to participate in dangerous, anti-social or self-centered activities when they are directing their attention toward the needs of their family.
As changes have swept over the family during the last two generations, social scientists have been focusing their research on understanding what it takes to create a healthy marriage. From this body of research, experts have developed a growing number of marriage education programs aimed at preparing couples for marriage by equipping them with the knowledge, values and skills required for a successful marriage in today’s world.
To bring about change in our community, we need your help. You can begin by enrolling in a relationship education program and enriching your own marriage. Second, you can learn to lead classes in your community and to encourage others to take classes. Third, you can support the Healthy Marriage Project in a variety of ways. A donation of $250 for example will provide relationship education materials for a local high school teacher. By giving $350 you can pay to train a person to lead a class on healthy dating. For $500 you will cover the cost of a trained instructor to teach a class for distressed couples.
Together we can and we will change our community, one family, one couple at a time.
Why should we care about the loss of marriage to our community? We know children do better when they are raised by their two married biological parents. They do better in school, get into less trouble, are healthier and delay sexual activity. Marriage is a hedge against poverty for women, and makes them less likely to be victims of domestic violence. Men are also healthier when they are married, and they are less likely to participate in dangerous, anti-social or self-centered activities when they are directing their attention toward the needs of their family.
As changes have swept over the family during the last two generations, social scientists have been focusing their research on understanding what it takes to create a healthy marriage. From this body of research, experts have developed a growing number of marriage education programs aimed at preparing couples for marriage by equipping them with the knowledge, values and skills required for a successful marriage in today’s world.
To bring about change in our community, we need your help. You can begin by enrolling in a relationship education program and enriching your own marriage. Second, you can learn to lead classes in your community and to encourage others to take classes. Third, you can support the Healthy Marriage Project in a variety of ways. A donation of $250 for example will provide relationship education materials for a local high school teacher. By giving $350 you can pay to train a person to lead a class on healthy dating. For $500 you will cover the cost of a trained instructor to teach a class for distressed couples.
Together we can and we will change our community, one family, one couple at a time.
Carolyn Rich Curtis, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Executive Director
