HD97 - Report on the Healthy Marriage and Stable Families Initiative


Executive Summary:
Through the Healthy Marriage and Stable Families Initiative, the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) awards grant to projects that provide community-based family preservation and supportive services designed to strengthen marriages and stabilize families. Grantees include public agencies, domestic violence prevention programs, faith-based organizations, and other non-profit or community-based groups. Awards were originally issued for a nine month grant period from October 1, 2003 through June 30, 2004 and a no-cost extension was given which extended the projects through September 30, 2004. The first round of grant awards ranged from $12,000-$35,000. Twenty-six (26) proposals were received and twelve (12) grants awarded.

This initiative is interested in innovative approaches to locally identified needs and funded projects must demonstrate measurable positive changes in the lives of the participants and their families. Projects could include concrete activities such as classes, seminars, workshops, inventories, conferences, support groups, and preventive counseling designed for use before or after a marriage or at any stage in a marriage. Organizations were encouraged to develop creative plans to address local challenges but the initial grant announcement provided the following examples of potential activities:

• Developing an effective community network or marriage task force to promote better public understanding of what healthy relationships require and better public access to related resources

• Establishing support groups or activity nights to focus on promoting healthy marriages

• Training to provide participants the knowledge and skills necessary to form and sustain a healthy marriage

• Conducting communication and problem solving skills workshops for single individuals that will help them form healthy relationships

• Developing and implementing a community-wide curriculum that provides support for the newly married

• Developing (or enhancing) community-based parenting programs to incorporate a marriage component and topics such as communication, conflict resolution, and relationship-building skills

• Offering programs to ensure that local teenagers will be better prepared for healthy dating relationships and marriage

• Assisting single parents with forming constructive relationships that are conducive to building a healthy relationship for the child and the non-custodial parent

• Providing individuals that have experienced abuse, rape, or domestic violence with training for building healthy relationships and marriages

This project is continuing in FY06 and is funded at $250,000 through the Safe and Stable Families grant to Virginia. In the 2006 project, fatherhood programs have been added as a focus area and four pilot prisoner reentry programs that include family to family mentoring are being developed.