The Healthy Marriage Initiative began at the federal level to provide funding and support to states and community-based organizations to engage in activities that encourage and strengthen marriage. The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, in which Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) was reauthorized, provided $150 million each year for the promotion of healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood programming and activities ($100 million is designated for healthy marriage programming and $50 million is allocated for responsible fatherhood programs). Key requirements of the law are:

  • Applicants for funds must commit to consult with experts in domestic violence
  • Applications must describe how programs will address issues of domestic violence
  • Projects must ensure that participation is voluntary.*

*This information has been adapted from the Administration for Children and Families Website.

For more information on the Healthy Marriage Initiative (HMI), click here to access the Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV’s) resource page “Healthy Marriage 101 for Family Violence Service Providers.”

For an insightful article on how the domestic violence, healthy marriage, and responsible fatherhood fields can better understand each other and collaborate on the development of common goals, please see the article, “Building Bridges between Healthy Marriage, Responsible Fatherhood and Domestic Violence Programs,” (PDF).

TCFV’s Work Within the Healthy Marriage Initiative

TCFV has monitored the development of the Federal Healthy Marriage Initiative since 2002, when the Initiative became part of the TANF reauthorization discussion in Congress. At that time, TCFV began advocating for the prioritization of safety for family violence survivors within the Initiative.

Beginning in June of 2007, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) contracted with TCFV to provide comprehensive support to healthy marriage grantees on addressing family violence issues within their programs. Another key component of this work is to inform family violence programs about the Healthy Marriage Initiative, facilitate collaboration at the local level, and solicit input from family violence programs regarding this new intersection. TCFV is available to provide technical assistance and training to both healthy marriage and family violence programs in these subject areas. Please email policy@tcfv.org for more information or call upon the TCFV Public Policy Team at 512-794-1133.

Healthy Marriage Funding and Programming in Texas

Several groups in Texas receive funding directly from the federal government. In 2007, 21 organizations across Texas received federal Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood grants. The total federal funding of these grants represents $54.5 million in Healthy Marriage funding for Texas over the next five years. (Information presented by Jeff Johnson, Director of HHSC’s Office of Family and Community Services at an HHSC, May 2008 Healthy Marriage Summit.)

Many other groups secure funding through HHSC. A bill passed by the Texas Legislature in 2007, related to healthy marriage funding, HB 2683, allocates 1% of the state’s total TANF Federal Block Grant each year to healthy marriage activities. For fiscal year 2008-2009, the 1% of TANF funding for the state healthy marriage program was $16 million. These funds were awarded by HHSC to programs to provide healthy marriage services through a competitive grant application process. Another piece of legislation passed by the 80th Texas Legislature, HB 2685, waives the state portion of the marriage license fee for couples who participate in an eight hour (minimum) premarital education course. As stipulated in HB 2685, as of September 1, 2008, the Texas marriage license fee increased from $30 to $60. This fee is waived, however, if a couple presents proof they have completed a valid, eight hour (minimum) premarital education course during the year preceding the date of the application for the marriage license.

Additionally, the 72 hour waiting period after the issuance of a marriage certificate is waived for those who complete a valid state marital education course.

During the 2009 Texas Legislative Session, state funding for the Texas Healthy Marriage Initiative was reduced significantly (by two-thirds), likely impacting the future programming structure of the Initiative (see below for further details).

HHSC Healthy Marriage Programming Structure in Texas

The state healthy marriage program, Twogether in Texas, is structured as follows: HHSC divides the state into 12 geographic regions with 12 corresponding Regional Intermediaries (RIs). The RIs are charged with overseeing the delivery of premarital and healthy marriage education services in their region, building capacity by funding local faith-based and community organizations to offer premarital education, and raising awareness within their communities about the importance of a healthy marriage.

As mentioned above, given the funding changes to the state healthy marriage program during the 2009 Texas Legislative Session, the future programming structure of the Initiative will likely be impacted. While the 12 Regional Intermediaries will continue to be responsible for capacity building and premarital and healthy marriage service delivery throughout the state, they will likely shift from using subcontractors to a largely volunteer base of providers.

We will have more information about any changes to the structure of the Texas Healthy Marriage Initiative (HMI) as the next fiscal year unfolds. For the most up-to-date information, we recommend that you visit the Twogether in Texas website, the official site of the Texas HMI:
http://twogetherintexas.com/UI/HomePage.aspx

For location and contact information of the RIs, please click here for “TCFV’s Healthy Marriage Regional Intermediary and Family Violence Service Provider Map.”

To locate a local family violence service provider in your area, please click here to access “TCFV’s Family Violence Service Provider Service Directory.”

Helpful links

If you have questions about the Healthy Marriage Initiative or TCFV’s role in this work, please contact TCFV’s Public Policy Team at policy@tcfv.org or 512-794-1133.

If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or TTY 1-800-787-3224.

Please note that Healthy Marriage programs do not provide intervention for couples undergoing serious marital or family problems and stresses, nor do these programs provide counseling. It could be potentially dangerous for an individual in an abusive relationship to participate in a healthy marriage program. The key is to do whatever is needed to ensure your safety and / or the safety of your children. There are services and resources available to assist with this issue. For help and information, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

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