Success Stories The 1% Solution Campaign has succeeded in winning State funding for marriage strengthening programs in a dozen states during the past two years. Here are short summaries of how the funds are being spent.

GEORGIA

The Georgia Department of Community Affairs was given oversight and implementation charge of the $100,000 of TANF funds designated for Healthy Marriage Initiative (HMI) efforts allocated in Georgia's 2008 budget. The language used by the state in the grant announcement was: To promote marriage as a viable life style option for low and moderate income Georgians through improved perceptions, attitudes and skills for developing a healthy marriage.

In March of 2008, four non-profit organizations were awarded varying levels of TANF funding for HMI efforts within specific communities including:

• Northwest Georgia Marriage Initiative (NWGMI)
• Thomasville Family And Marriage Network (TFAM)
• Gainesville/Hall County Healthy Marriage Initiative (GHCHMI)
• Lutheran Services of Georgia (LSG)
• NWGMI is paying couples $25 to go through the class, and offers free babysitting and meals.
• TFAM is using How to Avoid Marrying a Jerk. At the end of the class a framed Certificate of Completion is presented to every attendee with a $10.00 gift certificate to Wal-Mart.
• GHCHMI has established an Administrative Procedure Guide for the program that all their class sites will follow. They will also utilize (TANF) grant money for individual sessions.
• LSG has conducted four workshops and have provided education, information and support services to 80 individuals.
• The first $100,000 of TANF funds allocation for 2008 budgeting process has been reauthorized in the 2009 budget.

MISSISSIPPI

The $2,000,000 a year program advocates strong, healthy, lifelong marriages; promotes the importance of both mothers and fathers in the lives of their children; and works to prevent out-of-wedlock pregnancies. The program advocates sustaining a healthy marriage when blended families are involved. Sub-grantees collaborate with community organizations, educational institutions, and faith-based groups to provide the appropriate skills-based relationship education and services.

Sub-grantees provide marriage and relationship skills education including: parenting skills; financial management and conflict resolution for non-married pregnant women and non-married expectant fathers; pre-marital education and marriage skills training for engaged couples and for couples or persons interested in marriage; marriage enhancement and marriage skills training programs for married couples; divorce reduction programs that teach relationship skills; and marriage mentoring programs using married couples as role models and mentors in at-risk communities.

Service delivery includes classes, lectures, workshops, home visits and support groups. The sub-grantees provide weekly classes and monthly healthy-marriage workshops and seminars at resource centers located throughout the State.

The project targets married couples or couples who are interested in marriage for themselves. This includes newlyweds, second marriages, couples making the transition to becoming parents and cohabiting couples. Priority is given to low-income families/individuals (household income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level).

NEW MEXICO

 

The New Mexico legislature appropriated $300,000 in 2007 earmarked in grants of $100,000 each to three existing marriage skills service providers.

 

NEW YORK

 

The $125,000 state funds in the April 1 2007 budget were allocated for marriage and relationship seminars in Brooklyn and Queens, a Hudson Valley community marriage policy initiative, and television outreach including Spanish language programs to spread the news about marriage resources in New York State. The grant was reauthorized in 2008.

TEXAS

 

The Texas Health & Human Services Commission (HHSC) has implemented the "Twogether in Texas" project. HB2683 provides $15,000,000 in funding for healthy marriage initiatives. The premarital bill, HB2685, waives marriage license fees for couples who take an 8-hour premarital class that focuses on communication skills, conflict management skills, and other key elements of a healthy marriage.

HHSC has funded twelve Regional Intermediaries to ensure that free premarital education classes are available in each region beginning in September 2008. The funding is $950,000 per region for an 18 month period. Each Regional Intermediary will be engaging premarital educators in their region using sub-awards as part of the program.

 

Utah

 

A 1% TANF set-aside was accomplished in 2006, allocating approximately $750,000. The Coordinator of the Utah Healthy Marriage Initiative drafted a five-year proposal for use of the funds and submitted it to the state's TANF director within the Department of Workforce Services.

 

Over the next five years, the funding will be used for projects in the following areas: public awareness including a media campaign and Marriage Week activities; capacity building, including the formation of local coalitions and expanding services, and research.