"Promoting Marriage" AP story ignores crucial substance, deals in caricatures

"Brownback program promotes marriage" in the Topeka Capital-Journal, distributed by the Associated Press, reports on a state pro-marriage initiative without ever looking at what it is actually about. Instead, it looks at a few of the people who spoke at a meeting with state officials, and reports on what the author sees as extreme things they have said in other contexts, or in letters to the governor.  

Political types' choice to call it "promoting" marriage, and "faith-based", throws red meat to both left and right but completely distracts from what it's actually about. The actual programs that come from these state initiatives are for IMPROVING marriages, and making unwed parents' families more stable (which can include marrying, with proper preparation). The curricula are all based on secular, evidence-based models, but most, not all, are delivered by, and tailored to, churches because that's where most people marry. 

The story also reports, without context, that a participant from  Catholic Charities proposed to "divert $1 million from federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families to pay for a new marriage program." Another thing the reporter evidently did not know or inquire about is that this has been going on for 15 years as part of the bipartisan Welfare Reform signed by President Clinton. That landmark legislation reduced the welfare rolls substantially, but required that all the money saved should go into poverty-prevention programs, including job training, child care for working mothers, fatherhood programs, and programs to prevent divorce and unwed parenthood - i.e., marriage skills education. 

If you want to learn what people are actually doing to support marriages, check out  http://www.smartmarriages.com. The Smart Marriages coalition and the  American Bar Association Family  Law Section were doing Marriage Skills Education long before conservative groups and politicians  ever heard of it or paid attention to marriage and divorce issues. And though the press isn't paying attention to them, groups that actually work with real marriages and divorces are part of this state initiative, and are a lot more important to it than speakers brought in from out of state for a meeting. 

The need to reduce divorce and unwed parenthood by improving marriage is an issue that transcends politics. People who care about children need to get involved and not be afraid to work with people who have different political and religious beliefs.