VISION
A community in which marriages and relationships thrive


MISSION
Through relationship skills training and marriage education programs, the Healthy Marriage Project fosters emotionally, socially and economically healthy relationships throughout the life span.

The HMP Philosophy

The young child turns to the camera and says, “There is much less chaos now.” His homeless parents have just completed a relationship education class and he is relieved. All over Sacramento County, other children watch their parents argue and divorce and suffer the consequences without recourse or appeal. The scars are with them and can be measured. They will experience greater risk for school failure, the likelihood that they will graduate from high school and achieve high-status jobs is greatly reduced. These children are more likely to engage in delinquent and criminal behavior and are less likely to delay becoming sexually active. These children experience higher rates of psychological distress and mental illness.

Marriage is better for both men and women. Married men and women live longer, are healthier and wealthier than those who are not. Marriage reduces poverty and material hardship for disadvantaged women and their children. Married men earn more money than do single men with similar educations and job histories. Marriage is associated with better health and lower rates of injury, illness, and disability for both men and women. Marriage seems to be associated with better health among minorities and the poor.

Many of the major issues that society faces today begin within the family. In a recent report by Benjamin Scafidi for the Institute for American Values and Institute for Marriage and Public Policy, The Taxpayer Costs of Divorce and Unwed Childbearing found that the taxpayer cost for family fragmentation is at least $112 Billion a year and in California the cost is $4.8 billion.

To address these issues, The Healthy Marriage Project focuses on creating healthy relationships that produce the kinds of strong and stable environments in which children flourish and succeed. We envision Sacramento becoming a community where healthy relationships thrive. Our goals include:
  • Increasing the percentage of children who are raised by two parents in a healthy marriage.
  • Increasing the percentage of married couples who are in healthy marriages.
  • Increasing the percentage of premarital couples who are equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to form and sustain a healthy marriage.
  • Increasing the percentage of youth and young adults who have the skills and knowledge to make informed decisions about healthy relationships including skills that can help them eventually form and sustain a healthy marriage.
  • Increasing public awareness about the value of healthy marriages and the skills and knowledge that can help couples form and sustain healthy marriages.
  • Encouraging and supporting research on healthy marriages and healthy marriage education.
  • Increasing the percentage of women, men and children in homes that are free of domestic violence.