Healthy marriages are the cornerstone of strong families, which form the bedrock of a thriving society. Family Bridges, Chicagoland Healthy Marriage Initiative recognizes society's critical need to strengthen marriages, especially among minorities and low-income communities.  Through a unique network of providers, this newly charged initiative will teach couples, individuals and high school students how to create and maintain relationships that enrich each partner, their children and the community.

Family Bridges,Chicagoland Healthy Marriage Initiative is administered by Meier Clinics Foundation in collaboration with 21 diverse organizations (see a listing of the participant organizations under the provider page). This collaborative effort relies on a two-pronged approach to teach minorities and individuals in low-income communities how to build successful marriages.

First, a widespread media campaign will focus the attention of more than 1.7 million individuals on the importance of healthy marriages and the positive influence they have on children. 

Second, a targeted education campaign will help more than 5,000 residents in six Illinois counties (Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will) learn what it takes to create healthy, long-term relationships.  Through educational workshops, family retreats and marriage conferences, men and women will be taught a variety of interpersonal skills including conflict resolution, goal setting and effective communication.  They also will be taught practical skills such as budgeting and how to set educational and career goals.  Teenagers will be taught how to look beyond casual partners to find compatible individuals who will help build solid, respectful relationships.

Under the direction of the Meier Clinics Foundation, the Family Bridges, Chicagoland Healthy Marriage Initiative will:

• Help minorities access healthy marriage supports
• Develop new, culturally appropriate resources to help individuals prepare for, build, restore and maintain healthy relationships
• Reduce community barriers that keep individuals from using new and existing services
• Help individuals learn the importance of preparing for marriage
• Mobilize formal and informal community proponents of healthy marriages
• Develop effective methods for diverse organizations to work together in a culturally-competent and effective manner
• Support key goals of the ACF Healthy Marriage Initiative, which include increasing the percentage of married couples who are in healthy marriages the number of young adults who have the skills to make informed decisions about relationships.
   

Healthy Marriages, Strong Families, Thriving Communities

Funding for this project was provided by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Grant 90FE0011.  Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.