Latest Research Reports and Articles:

  •   ****NEW***  Cost and Solutions to Fatherlessness in Richmond Report from Richmond Health. Conservative estimate is $205 million annually  Link
  •   ****NEW***  Marriage and Poverty in the US; 12 graphs linking poverty to the decline in marriage  Link
  •   ****NEW***  NARME Launches new Trade Association: National Association for Relationship and Marriage Education at SmartMarriages Annual Conference, Orlando, FL July 9, 2010  Link
  • Richmond First Things First Selected by the national Marriage CoMission as one of four "target communities for 2010; more info to follow.

  • ****NEW***  Marriage crisis is bipartisan imperative By Sam Brownback and Linda Malone-Colón link

  • ****NEW*** Tip Sheet from NHMRC on why TANF should be used to support Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood education in support of the formation and maintenance of two parent families. The 1% Solution would mandate that VA spend at least 1% of its budget of proven programs... an Ounce of Prevention is better than a pound of cure. Link for report.  Three of the Four stated goals support this... yet almost zero money is budgeted by VA.

  •  National Marriage project and State of Our Unions have moved to UVA from Rutgerrs  Link   

  • ****NEW***  2010 Marriage and Family Foundation Grant to First Things First of Greater Richmond Making a difference - link for photo sheet_PDF

  • ****NEW***  American College of Pediatrics strongly endorses Abstinence-until-marriage education over Comprehensive Sex education link

  • ****NEW***  Passion chemistry declines over two years while "connection" hormone increases.  This helps healthy marriages stay stable and fulfilling.  Read BBC Article.

  • ****NEW***  Domestic Violence information from National healthy Marriage Resource Center link

  • ****NEW***  CDC Cohabitation 2010 Report: Cohabitation lowers quality of marriage and increases breakup and divorce risk; but less so if cohabiting after formal engagement. Also lower education and income> higher cohabitation link  Decreasing the other risk factors (and danger signs) is the goal of our couples class based on PREP link

  • ****NEW***  Getting Serious about PORN; It's ravaging American families. National Review Article

  • ****NEW***   Kansas City:  Read about Pastor Jeff Meyers of Christ Lutheran Church in a Kansas City suburb Pastor  Leroy Sullivan of the inner-city Bread of Life Church teamed up to save marriages in their community and say a 70 percent drop in their divorce rate over 10 years.     link to read full article.  There is also a link to a video News Report on their success.

  • ****NEW***  AP News: Success seen with experimental abstinence program By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer (link)

  •  ****NEW***  New Data Teen Pregnancy on the Rise, Abortions too.  Time article by Belinda Lipscombe Jan 26, 2010
  • ****NEW***  How Science can help you fall in love and stay that way. Article from Scientific American Mind Feb 2010 by Robert Epstein link
  • **NEW*** State of our Unions from the National Marriage Project, University of Virginia.  2009 research on marriage in America with special report: Money & Marriage   . (link)
  • ***NEW*** Pornography effects on individuals, couples and community from Family Research Council link
  • ***NEW*** CLASP DATA FINDER to search data for our state.  http://www.clasp.org/data
  • ***NEW*** The Marriage Index 2009:  A Proposal to Establish Leading Marriage Indicators link
  • Opportunity Knocks for Saving Marriages a Catholic perspective from Zenit  by Carl Anderson, Knoghts of Columbus link
  • Marriage & divorce stats by state from PEW research  link
  • NO-FAULT 40TH ANNIVERSARY The Washington Times September 22, 2009 Cheryl Wetzstein: No reason to celebrate:  link
  • Fatherhood Facts and Richmond data (download pdf file)
  • Study: Marriage (but not remarriage) is good for your health. MinnPost.com Article 2009 link
  • Housework Pays Off Between the Sheets Study of 6,877 families reports a strong correlation between hours of housework and sex. There is also a corelation between  paid hours and sex.  "Go Getters" get more!   Wall Street Journal link
  • Marriage and Health: What's the connection? National Healthy Marriage Resource Center 2009 compilation of research on the many health benefits of marriage. link here
  • **NEW***   Study Finds Divorced and Widowed Adults Have 20 Percent More Chronic Conditions than Married People. CBS article 09 link
  • 2 Million more children are now living in homes with their biological father: - read more
  • Saving Black Marriages: Does it take a village.  CNN article with research. Link
  • Teen Dating Violence Facts  PDF from the  ABA
  • Case for Early Marriage article Christianity Today August 2009 link
  • How you might respond to the words" I'm leaving you"; Those Aren¹t Fighting Words, Dear By LAURA A. MUNSON New York Times  July 31, 2009 link here
  • TIME magazine on marriage July 13, 2009  "How to Make Marriage Matter Again" and inside Caitlin Flanagan states, "No other single force is causing as much measurable hardship and human misery in this country as the collapse of marriage."
    Link:  http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1908243,00.html 
  • HOPE Project: MMateCenter at Regent University continuing education for clergy and counselors for HOPE Focused Counseling introduced by Dr Everett Worthington. FREE couple resources.  CE credits available. http://www.mmatecenter.com/
  •  2009 Indiana University Report on cancer survivability and marriage-divorce.  link  
  • Bill Janis June 7, 2009  RTD Op Ed on Fathers absence and poverty.  Link here
  • Let's End Disposable Marriages by Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears link
  • New Study says Dads have twice the influence on teen sexual behavior. Link
  • atherhood Facts and Richmond data (download pdf file)
  • USA today article Feb 18, 2009 Federally funded Ad campaign on benefits of marriage. Link
  • Brookings Report Attacking Poverty and Inequality: calling for increasing married two parent ffamilies as one of three key strategies. link here
  • Marriage Penalty - The Future of Children report from Brookings link here
  • 2008 State of our Unions Update from the National Marriage projectnow at UVA
  • 2007 State of Our Unions report from the National Marriage Project
  • Why not wait for marriage:  Say Yes. What Are You Waiting For?The Washington Post By Mark Regnerus Sunday, April 26, 2009.  Well thought and researched.
  •  Black Marriage Facts from National Fatherhood Initiative http://legacy.fatherhood.org/  link
  • The Truth about Virginity Pledges and Family Attitudes:  Like a Virgin: The Press Take On Teenage Sex Yes, attitudes do make a difference in behavior. The Wall Street Journal  January 6, 2009 By WILLIAM MCGURN . Link
  • The Good Obama can do to change the culture of marriage by Washington times Reporter Mona Charen. Link
  • Taxpayer Costs of Divorce & Unwed Childbearing Report  by Benjamin Scafidi, Ph.D. Economist at Georgia College and State University and team. Includes estimates for each state. $112 billion per year nationally and $776 million for Virginia in lost tax revenue and increased social services.  Available for free download of pdf file at  www.AmericanValues.org   
  • Philanthropy Roundtable report: Chattanooga says "We Do" .  Strategic giving and an innovative nonprofit group reverse a city's high rates of divorce, out-of-wedlock births, and absentee fathers from Philanthropy Roundtable March-April magazine Cover article about First Things First by Karin Glendinning. link
  • Policies for Reducing Poverty by Dr. Wade Horn ( 1strategies for reducing poverty includes strengthening marriage as third element) Report at Brookings download here  see entire Brookings Poverty  mtg agenda 
  • MARRIED COUPLES WHO PLAY TOGETHER STAY TOGETHER By Sharon Jayson, USA TODAY link here
  • ACF Report and Curriculum: Building Assets * Building Stronger Families is available at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/afi/buildingassets/babsf_narr1.htm.
  • What Teachers Want Parents to Know by Julie Baumgardner, CFLE FTF Chattanooga Director
  • Why Celebrate Black Marriage Day  article by Julie Baumgardner FTF Chattanooga link here
  • Finding a Marriage Friendly Therapist - Therapeutic Family Law Blog 08 article by James Stinson link here
  • Mentoring Program May Save a Bad Marriage Before It Begins by Maggie Gallagher.  Also addresses cohabitation from a clergy perspective. link here.
  • Dying Alone:  A new generation of Americans will face aging and loss of their divorced parents in a new - and often lonely - way. by Elizabeth Marquardt. link here
  • Working on Your Marriage -- at Work :  Realizing That a Happy Staff Is More Productive, Employers Offer Relationship Training    THE WALL STREET JOURNAL  May 31, 2007  By RACHEL EMMA SILVERMAN link here
  • VDH Virginia Marriage & Divorce statistics: link here 
  • How Therapists and Lawyers could reduce divorce: Minnesota Monthly A More Perfect Union with Bill Doherty link here
  • Child Trends report: Men's Pregnancy Intentions and Prenatal Behaviors:  What they mean for Father's Involvement With Their Children.  Applicable conclusions and implications for public policy include: : Pregnancy programs and health care providers should involve fathers from the start; Programs should cater to the needs and interests of men as well as women; The importance of father involvement for child well- being should be stressed at all levels; Pregnancy programs should be sensitive to cultural differences in the ways fathers perceive the pregnancy and support the mother. Reminds of the Magic Moment... 
  • Marriage and Caste in America: Separate and Unequal Families in a Post-Marital Age" authored by Kay Hymowitz.  "The breakdown of marriage in the Untied States - which began about 40 years ago as divorce and out-of-wedlock birthrates soared - threatens America's future. It is turning us into a nation of separate but unequal families. It has become clear that family breakdown lies at the heart of our nation's most obstinate social problems, especially poverty and inequality. To put it more broadly, there is no way to attack these worrisome economic trends without tackling culture - the system of beliefs, values and practices that help us define and live a good life."  This is a must read if you want to understand some of the societal changes that have contributed to growing multi-generational poverty.  see the Wall Street Journal Review below
  •    THE RING THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE   a book review of Marriage and Caste in America By CHARLOTTE HAYS    The Wall Street Journal    "The Marriage Gap"
  • Premarital Cohabitation Effect" authored by Scott Stanley, Galena Kline Rhoades, and Howard Markman. The article will only be available for free for two months, to download go to: http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/toc/fare/55/4 

  • July 2007 Report on Family Structure impact in children"  The impact of family formation change on the cognitive, social, and emotional well-being of the next generation Paul R. Amato:  http://www.cyc-net.org/cyc-online/cycol-0707-amato.html 

  • Why Marriage Matters - Twenty-Six Conclusions from Social Sciences (second edition); a compiled Report from politically diverse, inter-disciplinary group of Family Scholars: (Link to read summary or to order)  
  • Brookings Institution reports that increasing marriage rates and reducing divorce is the second most influential factor to reduce poverty second only to "Full Time Work"  and in front of increasing education!  Testimony of Senior Fellow: Isabel Sawhill to Ways & Means Committee April 26, 2007. Suggests funding of programs for Pre-Marital Skills Education and healthy Relationship Skills for Teens like the Relationship Smarts program part of Love U-2 Curriculum which we use at FTF for teens. Culture Counts:  "Thus, any strategy to reduce the number of single parent families should include a component aimed at changing broad cultural attitudes.  Many younger people, teens especially, have not fully absorbed the message about normative ordering of events that is critical to achieving life's goals: finish high school, or better still, get a college degree, wait until your twenties to marry, and do not have children until after you marry and at least one parent is stably employed".  Download pdf report from Brookings: http://www3.brookings.edu/views/testimony/sawhill/20070426.pdf 
  • The Consequences of Marriage for African Americans; a newly released study by a team of family scholars estimates that marriage typically brings a host of important benefits to African American men, women, and children: (Link to read summary or to order)  
  • Pre-marriage training makes a difference:  Research report from Premarital Education, Marital Quality, and Marital Stability: Findings From a Large, Random Household Survey 2006
  • Abstinence testimony to congress May 22, 07;  Hundreds of abstinence education advocates, most of who are still in high school, gathered on Capitol Hill today to educate Congress about the widespread support for abstinence education. News release link here.
  • Northside Healthy Marriage Initiative Report 2006  Research report.
  • **NEW****Church attendance makes a difference:  Church attenders have 44% divorce rate as compared to 60% for non-attenders according to Research report from Bowling Green reported    April 14, 2007 By DAVID YONKE ;     T OLEDO BLADE RELIGION EDITOR
  • Canadian report on how men are impacted by divorce more than women in terms of depression.... but not financially. 2007
  • New Release for July 2006  The State of Our Unions: 2006 From National Marriage Project, Rutgers University. Feature Essay: Life Without Children  Comparison of marriage and family trends.  Includes  updated indices of marriage, divorce, cohabitation, loss of child centeredness, fragile families, and teen attitudes.  http://marriage.rutgers.edu 
  • NEW "Love is in the Air" article on  paying attention to romantic lives of  teens (Link Here)
  • CDC Dec 15, 2004 Report on Health benefits of Marriage
  • The State of Our Unions: 2005 From National Marriage Project, Rutgers University. Feature Essay: Marriage & Family: What Does the Scandinavian Experience Tell Us?  Comparison of family trends & child wellbeing in the US and Sweden. Includes  updated indices of marriage, divorce, cohabitation, loss of child centeredness, fragile families, and teen attitudes. [PDF] or [HTML] 
  • Government interest in Healthy Marriages: Wedded to Marriage, Invest now or Pay Later by Wade Horn, HHS.ACF. Assistant Secretary for Children and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. From National Review Article
  • iMAPP Policy Brief: Can Married Parents Prevent Crime?  summary of research links between marriage and crime / gang acytivity.   link here
  • New Release: November 2004!!    Ten Important Research Findings on Marriage and Choosing A Marriage Partner: Helpful Facts for Young Adults [PDF]
  • Us Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Familiies (ACF) Healthy Marriage Web site (Link)
  • Dawsons Vow   Article from the May 15, 2004 Government Executive Magazine on Diann Dawson, "ACF's marriage maven", her work in organizing the African American Healthy Marriage Initiative (AAHMI), and her vow --is an inspiration.
  • Rutgers University Research from the National Marriage Project:  The State of Our Unions: The Social Health of Marriage in America, 2004   David Popenoe and Barbara Dafoe Whitehead    This year's feature essay, "The Marrying Kind," reviews the results of a national survey of young men 25 to 34, looking at the characteristics of the men who marry and those who don't. The report also includes updates of the social indicators of marriage, divorce, cohabitation, child wellbeing, and teen attitudes.         [Adobe Acrobattm Version]
  • Surprising Economic Benefits of Marriage from Rutgers study... page 17 of above State of our Unions 2004(Link)

  • PASTORS SAY LET'S TALK ABOUT SEX IN CHURCH from ABCNews.com    Oct. 17, 2006 Some Churches Are Encouraging People to Open Up About Sexuality

  • Marrying Across Cultures:  love stories and seven suggestions for cross cultural couples by Missionary and Family Life Educator Larry Ballard

    Family Facts from a variety of research Fellows: http://familyfacts.org/ 

    MARITAL WISDOM: 60 years of wisdom in couple's advice; Home News Tribune 03/21/07

    by DR. ALAN M. SINGER

     

     

     

 

 

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