Obama and Democrats Support Relationship and Marriage Education Funding

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Dec. 10, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- President Barack Obama signed into law this week a combined $150 Million in funding for Relationship and Marriage Education and Responsible Fatherhood. The Claims Resolution Act of 2010 (H.R. 4783) signing was expected after Democrats championed the bill which passed in the House by a vote of 256-152.

H.R. 4783 is seen as critical by Healthy Marriage grantees nationally as it provides a sixth year of funding that will enable these organizations to compile and submit results of their ongoing five-year projects.  "We're very happy about this Bill passing," says Dennis Stoica, President of California Healthy Marriages Coalition (CHMC), one of more than 100 organizations in the country that receives such funds and will likely benefit.  "We know that marital outcomes have a big impact on many important social factors such as physical health, mental health, kids' achievement in school, teen pregnancy, crime and poverty.  These end up costing taxpayers a great deal of money.  This sixth year of funding will give us the opportunity to show the impact of Relationship and Marriage Education programs as preventive means for addressing these costly social factors so we're grateful for the successful passing of H.R. 4783."

With the sixth year of funding, CHMC anticipates expanding its rollout of Relationship and Marriage Education through a statewide network of nonprofit partnering organizations.  Widely available in English and Spanish, as well as other languages, CHMC offers a range of skills-based Relationship Education programs for teens, singles, engaged and married couples as well as programs for parents.

CHMC is the recipient of the Federal government's largest Healthy Marriage grant receiving $2.4 million in funding for each of the past five years. CHMC—a division of Healthy Relationships California—has taught proven relationship-building skills to more than 65,000 Californians.  A statewide clearinghouse of Relationship and Marriage Education classes is available at www.CaMarriage.com.

SOURCE California Healthy Marriages Coalition