JUNEAU -- A new Healthy Marriage initiative started by the state Department of Health and Social Services is offering $500,000 in grant money to community- and faith-based organizations for programs and services designed to help and encourage healthy marriages and two-parent families.

The program offers $50,000 to each organization that submits an innovative proposal providing for collaboration with other community programs and with clearly defined measures and outcomes. DHSS released information concerning the grants on Aug. 30, and all proposals are due on Sept. 15.

The goal of the initiative is to increase the number of healthy two-parent families in Alaska. According to the DHSS, healthy two-parent families are more likely to ensure the well being of children than single-parent families and those with two unmarried adults. "Healthy marriages are the foundation of our society, and this funding will provide many tools for Alaskans to improve their ability to enjoy a successful future together with their families," DHSS commissioner Joel Gilbertson said. "We invite community and faith-based organizations to join this effort by creating innovative proposals to foster healthy marriages."

Most of the research supporting this initiative was compiled by the Administration of Children and Families and can be found online at www.acf.hhs.gov/healthymarriage/index.html. According to the Census Bureau, more than 90 percent of the American public is expected to marry. In addition, public opinion surveys indicate that more than 93 percent of Americans say marital success is important to them. The majority of the American public already value marriage, and ACF is interested in helping people make a better go of it, according to the Web site.

Funds for the grants come from a federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families High Performance Bonus award. Through the success of some welfare-to-work strategies implemented back in 2002, the state received a $3.18-million bonus. The state is now able to use the success of the welfare reforms to continue to benefit Alaskan families, according to Public Assistance Director Katherine Farnham.

Some of the programs or services funded by these grants for this next fiscal year could include but are not limited to: education in high schools on the value of marriage, relationship skills and budgeting; marriage education, marriage skills and relationship skills programs; premarital education; marriage enhancement training programs; marriage mentoring programs and public advertising campaigns on the value of marriage.

For more information on the Healthy Marriage initiative, contact Margaret Webb, project coordinator, at 465-8277 or at Margaret_Webb@health.state.ak.us. More information can also be found on the DHSS Web site at www.hss.state.ak.us, under the public notice section.

Contact Michael White at mike.white@frontiersman.com.