Marriage Promotion
Marriage promotion may sound like not such a bad thing, but before shrugging your shoulders and saying ‘yeah, it sounds like a good thing,’ you have the civic responsibility to ask why does our government want people to get married and how it will affect those who chose not to get married. Unfortunately, this new policy is simply the government’s misguided attempt to “deal with” poverty by means of dependency on another person instead of through self-improvement such as education and job training.
The marriage promotion campaign includes increasing funding to states for marriage promotion activities. Already, states such as Michigan, Arkansas, Florida, Oklahoma, and Illinois are using marriage promotion match grant money for projects such as increasing benefits to married families receiving Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF), media campaigns to promote marriage, paying for marriage license fees, and funding jobs to serve on boards and councils advocating for marriage. Secondly the campaign seeks to re-word a welfare goal to state: “Encouraging the formation and maintenance of married families.” These activities have the intended implications of benefiting two-parent heterosexual couples that are married, while punishing families that vary from this idealized model.
The reality is that marriage is not the answer to poverty. Of women in poverty who marry, only 1 in 10 will experience a family income increasing to above the poverty line. In addition, 40 percent of poor children already live in two-parent homes; which illustrates that the marriage will not magically release the grip of poverty. The proposed marriage funds should be redirected to education and job training, areas that do have a direct impact on economic security.
Alarmingly this marriage promotion policy is not only misguiding but is detrimental to the safety and security of Iowans. 1 out of 4 women receiving TANF have been abused by their intimate partner in the past 12 months. Sympathizers of marriage promotion agree that domestic violence is not encouraged and exceptions should be made for battered women. However, 25% of women cannot be viewed as simply “the exception”. Promoting marriage to those who are not in a safe nor healthy relationship is dangerous to women and will cost the state more money through medical expenses and loss of economic productivity.
Iowa currently supports families without prescribing marriage. TANF money is being used for innovative programs that strengthening families. These programs support families in maintaining healthy relationships with their children and meeting parental responsibilities. Positive work has been done through the Iowa's Fatherhood Project and programs for teen parents. These programs work to meet the current TANF goals without promoting marriage.
I am sure that you feel personal strain on your pocketbook from the state’s budget crisis. Although increased federal money for the state seems like a beneficial thing, Iowans cannot accept money that has detrimental effects on the health and safety on its citizens. The Department of Human Services is designed to help needy children and their families, not to promote a certain lifestyle nor further the special interests of religious organizations. Iowa’s current initiatives to strengthen families provide support to all families, regardless of martial status. Iowans should continue to support this work and deny the tainted money the federal government is handing out to promote marriage as an economic solution to the lack of education and opportunities that limit our fellow Iowans.
written by Kristina Holub
Fall 2002
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This month, President Bush released his plans for welfare reform in 2003. His statements to the press focus on work and the success stories of people who have worked their way off the welfare rolls. The 1996 overhaul of welfare replaced cash aid with strict work requirements, a five year maximum on assistance, and increased state flexibility. For families receiving aid during the 1996 reform, they have reached their five year maximum. Examination of Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF) is happening in full force. Is TANF a success? Are the reduced numbers of welfare cases a sign poverty is also being reduced? President Bush says yes, and is asking Congress to build upon the current success.
With the creation of TANF in 1996, a new emphasis was placed on family formation. Three of TANF’s four goals address family make-up, including:
1. Ending the dependence of needy parents on government benefits by promoting job preparation, work, and marriage.
2. Preventing and reducing the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies.
3. Encouraging the formation and maintenance of two-parent families.
The third goal is in the process of being re-worded, potentially reading “encouraging the formation and maintenance of two-parent married families.” With the new goals, federal money promoting marriage has been made available to states through mach grants. States such as Michigan, Arkansas, Florida, Oklahoma, and Illinois are using the grant money for projects such as: increasing TANF benefits to married families, media campaigns, paying for marriage license fees, and jobs to serve on boards and council advocating for marriage.
In President Bush’s current welfare plan, he asks $300 million be put towards “marriage promotion” programs. With TANF’s overall budget in the billions, $300 million is a tiny percentage. However, few other TANF initiatives are getting budget increases, much less a 300% increase.
Debate around marriage promotion programs is heated. The overall goal of TANF is to lead families towards self-sufficiency. Is marriage the path to self-sufficiency? Does marriage bring families out of poverty? Besides debating if marriage is the right solution for poverty, opponents of marriage promotion worry about women’s safety. The National Network to End Domestic Violence believes all marriage promotion programs risk stigmatizing women and unintentionally coercing women to stay in abusive relationships. What about women who are single by choice? Women in same-sex relationships? Proponents of marriage promotion say participation in the programs are voluntary, providing support for relationships that otherwise may not have support. Young parents can learn about the work marriage requires, or couples can strengthen communication skills. The programs are not mandating marriage, just supporting it.
Iowa is not using marriage promotion grants – yet. Instead, TANF money is being used for innovative strengthening families programs. The programs support families in maintaining healthy relationships with their children and meeting parental responsibilities. In light of the current budget crisis, Iowa’s rejection of marriage promotion funding will be re-evaluated.
Consider your own position on marriage promotion initiatives. Do you want to see federal funding increased for marriage promotion? Is this something you think would benefit Iowans? Debate is heating up as the 2003 Legislative session begins. The House of Representatives has passed a bill increasing the money available for marriage promotion programs, the Senate is still working on its budget recommendations.
written by Molly Greiner
January 2003
If you are interested in contacting your elected officials, you can search by zip code by clicking here.
Suggested web sites:
Alternatives to Marriage report on welfare and marriage promotion policies. Includes downloadable report, “Let the Eat Wedding Rings: The Role of Marriage Promotion in Welfare Reform.”
National Organization for Women’s Legal Defense and Education Fund’s site, with information about welfare and women, and welfare and marriage.
Center for Law and Social Policy web site, with information on studies of current marriage promotion programs and recommendations for change. For fast finding of publication, use “site search” and type in marriage promotion. However, the entire site has valuable information on welfare policies and marriage promotion.
www.uua.org/uuawo/issues/tanf/marriage.html
Unitarian Universalists (religious) site, offering support of marriage while opposing marriage promotion, with thorough links to programs and statements about marriage promotion.
The White House web site, with current press releases and statements on the Bush Administrations’ goals towards marriage.
IWIS began working on marriage promotion policies through the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence. For more information on ICADV, visit their web site at: http://www.icadv.org.
For more information about marriage promotion policies, e-mail mailto:molly-greiner@uiowa.edu
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