Coalition Meeting
12:00pm
first Tuesday
of each month
MCCHM Office
(Click for Map)
4002 B Marie Ave. NW
Huntsville, AL
(behind KFC on University Dr.)
Marriage Festival Feb 20th, 2010!
Flyer (PDF)
|
Marriage
The gift that keeps on giving ...
"Till death do us part." A wedding is still the most celebrated, costly and well planned social occasion in our society. But how much money and preparation does the couple invest in preparing for this lifetime, dedicated commitment?
Since marriage is the central institution of the family, it plays a vital role in fostering the emotional, social and economic bonds between husbands and wives, children and parents, the family and the community in which they live.
A healthy marriage, where conflict is low and commitment high, provides a positive environment for the development of lifelong positive bonds for the whole family. Researchers have found that marriage contributes to the physical, emotional and economic well being of children, husbands and wives and communities.
A healthy marriage is the foundation of a strong family, which is the building block of a strong neighborhood, that contributes to the health of Madison County, and ultimately the state and the entire USA.
According to Judge Billy Bell who currently handles 5/6 of the domestic relations cases filed in Madison County, the "state of the union" in Madison County is unhealthy! He states that "over 6,000 adults and thousands of children, have their lives affected by domestic cases each year, just in Madison County alone" (Reference Judge Bell's letter to the Governor here: Letter to Governor and Governor's Response).
This is the motivation for the formation of the MCCHM. We need healthy marriages to nurture our children, so all of us in Madison County can become involved in developing a strong, caring, committed community.
|
Healthy Marriage Initiative (HMI)
The healthy marriage initiative stems from a growing body of research that explores the impact of family structure on child well being. Such data includes:
- One-third of all births are out-of-wedlock.
- More than 50% of first marriages end in divorce.
- Nearly 40% of all children do not live with their biological fathers.
- About 6% of children in married-couple families were poor in 1999 compared to more than 35% in single-mother families.
- 43% percent of unmarried women have children with multiple partners compared to 15% of married women (Jarchow, 2003).
Reference the national ACF Healthy Marriage Initiative, and the ACF African-American Healthy Marriage Initiative for additional background and information. See also Understanding the President's Healthy Marriage Initiative (The Heritage Foundation, 2004 ).
|
Goals of the Madison County Coalition for Healthy Marriages (MCCHM)
- To increase the number of stable, healthy marriages through providing thorough premarital education
- To decrease the high divorce rate in Madison County
- To increase community awareness of the MCCHM
- To increase public awareness of the need for marital education, a growing marriage movement and the availability of resources
- To increase access to marriage resources through:
- Coordinating existing resources
- Acting as a clearinghouse of information on marriage resources both within and outside of Madison County
- Facilitating the development of new and affordable programs to meet the needs of our diverse population
Resources - Please visit our
Resource Page for a variety of helpful resources
regarding Marriage Enrichment, Healthy Marriage Initiatives, Marriage Advocacy, as well as services for those who may be in a Dangerous or Crisis situation.
See also a feature article in the Huntsville Times regarding the Madison County Coalition for Healthy Marriages here: Supporting the Union (May 13, 2005)
“The Coalition is composed of a wide variety of participants representing many people and organizations in the healing and helping fields. It is intended to be broad and inclusive for all those with a deep commitment to strengthening marriage and family life as an essential part of the fabric of a healthy society and community.”
