Children and Families Administration November 13, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Notice is hereby given that a single-source program expansion is being made to Public Strategies, Inc., as the National Healthy Marriage Resource Center (NHMRC), located in Oklahoma City, OK, in the amount of $1,250,000 to conduct a national media campaign on the value of marriage and the skills needed to increase marital stability and health. Public Strategies, Inc. and their collaborative partners were competitively awarded on September 30, 2006 to operate the NHMRC. The goal of the NHMRC is to be the ``first stop shop'' for marriage education information, an experienced provider of training and technical assistance, and a major catalyst in advancing the healthy marriage field. Since healthy marriage is a nascent field, it is necessary for the NHMRC to promote healthy marriage on a broad, national level in order to achieve these stated goals. Research has repeatedly shown that a healthy marriage brings about good outcomes for individuals, families, and especially, for children. A national media campaign would significantly raise the awareness of the benefits of healthy marriage and the benefits of marriage education. The campaign would disseminate information that explains how marriage education can enhance a couple's ability to form and sustain a healthy marriage and describe the benefits to children being raised in healthy, married two parent households. Additionally, by promoting healthy marriage and marriage education on a national level, the NHMRC will encourage a national discussion and further the mission of ACF's Healthy Marriage Initiative to help couples and individuals, who have chosen marriage for themselves, gain greater access to marriage education services, on a voluntary basis, where they can acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to form and sustain a healthy marriage. After the appropriate reviews, it has been determined that this single-source expansion qualifies for funding. The period of this funding will extend from September 30, 2007 through September 29, 2011.