Studies show that the fastest way to escape poverty is to get married and the fastest way into poverty is divorce.

Consider these statistics: A child born and raised outside of marriage will spend 51 percent of his childhood in poverty. A child born inside marriage and raised by both parents in an intact marriage will spend only seven percent of his childhood in poverty. And a child raised by a never-married mother is more than seven times more likely to be poor than a child raised in an intact marriage. Children who grow up with absent fathers are also more likely to drop out of school, become addicted to drugs, have a child out-of-wedlock, or end up in prison.

Delaying marriage, living together first, and even having children with or without a committed partner have become more prevalent in the U.S. over the last decade. However, a new groundbreaking survey of 3,672 men and women age 18-30 conducted by the National Healthy Marriage Resource Center found that 82 percent of young adults aged 18-30 plan to get married and stay married for life and 70 percent believe that they have the skills to make a successful marriage.

Interestingly, surveys confirm that the vast majority of Americans of all income levels, racial, ethnic, religious, and geographic backgrounds highly value marriage and want a happy and long-lasting marriage for themselves and their children.  However, research indicates that an estimated 40 percent of first marriages will end in divorce.

 “The disconnect between attitudes about marriage and the reality of being married is common,” said Mary Myrick, Project Director at the National Healthy Marriage Resource Center (NHMRC). “Once married, conflicts often arise over money, parenting, in-laws, sex and other important issues.  Many couples find themselves ill-equipped to deal with these issues.”

Based on these findings, the NHMRC is launching a national public awareness campaign targeting young adults who may be delaying marriage due to unrealistic expectations, such as finding a perfect partner, or those who are not sure how to deal with the challenges they face in their existing relationships.  The goals are to uphold the value of marriage and to engage in a conversation about the benefits of marriage.  Additionally, a website, www.twoofus.org, will provide tips and tools on how to have and maintain a healthy marriage relationship, peer to peer forums and expert advice.

 “This isn’t about telling people to get married,” said Dr. Paul Amato, Pennsylvania State University sociologist and adviser to the NHMRC.  “This is about not underestimating the benefits of marriage and learning how to do it well.”
Many have questioned the government’s involvement in marriage, much less airing a national campaign, especially during a recession.

“The health of the economy is linked with the health of marriage,” said Dr. Amato. “When the economy is growing, marital quality generally improves. But when the economy is in recession, marital quality tends to decline. For these reasons, the current economic crisis has increased the urgency of providing research-based information and guidance to couples--especially those who are experiencing economic hardship.  For those asking if we should we be spending government money on this type of thing during a recession, I believe the answer is, we can’t afford not to.”

Studies indicate that the lack of marriage and the high divorce rate impact all citizens of this country. 

Research consistently indicates that children clearly pay a heavy price when their parents divorce or never marry, but what about the American people? A report released in 2008 stated that divorce and out of wedlock childbearing cost our country in excess of $112 billion annually (The Taxpayer Costs of Divorce and Unwed Childbearing).  The costs are due to increased taxpayer expenditures for anti-poverty, criminal justice and education programs. Lower levels of taxes paid by individuals whose adult productivity has been negatively affected by increased childhood poverty caused by family fragmentation add to these costs. 

Imagine what might happen if money was spent to help people marry well.

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