Coffin Corner

From: National Center for Family & Marriage Research [national_center_for_marriage_research@ncmr-bgsu.ccsend.com] on behalf of National Center for Family & Marriage Research [ncfmr@bgsu.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, December 21, 2010 2:50 PM
To: Coffin, Bill (ACF)
Subject: [MARKETING EMAIL]NCFMR News and Notes - December 2010

The following updates may be viewed on the NCFMR website.

Request for Proposals: Small Grants Competition, 2011
Fathers and Fathering
Application Receipt Deadline: Friday, February 18, 2011

The National Center for Family & Marriage Research seeks to fund up to four proposals ($20,000 per award) to support innovative research that contributes to theoretical, conceptual, or methodological developments about fathers and fathering.

View Request for Proposal (RFP)
Link to External Grants webpage

Examine Our Newly Released Data Resources
Our extensive data resources facilitate research on families and well-being.  Be sure to examine our newly released additions to the following collections:  Data Points, The Date Source, Measures Snapshots, and Working Paper Series.

Data Points
Tables and figures integrating statistics and demographic perspectives designed to investigate the links between marriage and family well-being at all stages of the life course. 

Parental Incarceration

View Data Points webpage

The Data Source
Documents describing newly released data sets, such as American Community Survey (ACS), Monitoring the Future (MTF), and National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), used by the family research community.
 

• National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY79)
• National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97)

View The Data Source webpage

Measures Snapshots
A collection of detailed summaries of family measures available in several large, national data sets.

Child Well-being
National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health)
Waves 3 & 4

View Measures Snapshots webpage

Working Papers
A collection of working papers written by faculty affiliates, researchers, and advanced graduate students.

Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Pajarita Charles, Shenyang Guo, Kim Manturuk, and Clinton Key (2009 External Grantees)
The Effect of Marital Status on Homeownership Among Low-Income Households (WP-10-18)

View Working Paper Series webpage
 

Congratulations to Professor Gary Lee
BGSU NCFMR Research Affiliate Awarded the Designation of 2010 NCFR Fellow

Fellow status in the National Council on Family Relations is an honor awarded to relatively few living members of NCFR who have made outstanding and enduring contributions to the field of the family in the areas of scholarship, teaching, outreach, or professional service.  NCFMR congratulates Dr. Lee on his achievement!

View Dr. Lee's biography and CV
 

Birth Rate for Women 40-44 Rose to Highest Level Reported in 40+ Years

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics presents data on U.S. births according to a wide variety of measures, such as maternal demographic characteristics and birth and fertility rates.

Gap in Married and Unmarried Birth Rate Narrows

 

^a Births to married women per 1,000 married women aged 15-44 years.
^b Births to unmarried women per 1,000 unmarried women aged 15-44 years.
Adapted from Table C "Births and birth rates for unmarried and married women, United States: 1980, 1985 and 1990-2008" by, J.A. Martin, B.E. Hamilton, P.D. Sutton, S.J. Ventura, and M.J.K. Mathews Osterman, 2010, Births: Final data for 2008, National vital statistics reports, Vol 59, No 1. by the National Center for Health Statistics. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr59/nvsr59_01.pdf

-->

Click to... Join Our Mailing List!

NCFMR Web Links

From: Be There for Your Kids! [maggie@the-bawmann-group.ccsend.com] on behalf of Be There for Your Kids! [info@coloradodads.com]
Sent: Tuesday, December 21, 2010 7:01 PM
To: Coffin, Bill (ACF)
Subject: [MARKETING EMAIL]Be There for Your Kids Newsletter - December 2010

In This Issue: Highlights of the Be There for Your Kids Campaign in 2010 Fatherhood and Child Support Partnerships Program Spotlight Touch By An Angel and the Men's Warehouse Give Away Free Suits to Dads Promoting Responsible Fatherhood in Your Community December Featured Father Helping Fathers Share the True Meaning of the Holiday Season with their Children Subscribe to the Latest Be There for Your Kids Public Awareness Campaign Initiatives Upcoming Events   Highlights of the Be There for Your Kids Campaign in 2010 2010 has been another tremendous year for our public awareness campaign. Did you know that: We participated in numerous community events during June 2010 to raise awareness of responsible fatherhood and Father's Day? Our work started with a booth at National Get Outdoors Day at City Park in Denver on June 12th and ended at the Colorado Springs Sky Sox game in Colorado Springs on Father's Day. In between, the campaign hosted the premiere screening of "The Evolution of Dad" in Denver; participated in two fatherhood television call-ins that generated more than 140 calls from interested viewers; and partnered with the Colorado Rockies to recognize the winners of the 2010 Be There for Your Kids Awards prior to the June 16th game at Coors Field. Efforts to promote responsible fatherhood in our state resulted in 37 news stories running statewide in June. More than 100 fatherhood and family service practitioners joined us for the 2010 Fatherhood Training Academy — Going from Good to Great? Those who attended the Training Academy from October 4 — 6 participated in sessions focused on healthy relationships and fatherhood; funding sustainability; working with fathers who have substance abuse problems; understanding Child Welfare and the new Child Welfare portal; working with the Child Support Enforcement Program; domestic violence training; building cultural competency; and public awareness and fatherhood. Training Academy attendees were also treated to keynote presentations from well-known fatherhood educators Mark Kiselica, Ph.D., and Rich Batten, both of whom discussed the value of making personal connections with fathers and the work being done throughout the state to encourage responsible fatherhood. We developed several in-reach opportunities for Child Support and Child Welfare agencies to increase father engagement? In 2010, the campaign partnered with the Colorado Division of Child Welfare to host five father engagement trainings for caseworkers around the state. More than 200 caseworkers participated in these trainings where they heard from fathers who faced and eventually overcame challenges in navigating the child welfare system thanks to the assistance of fatherhood programs and were trained by Child Welfare and Responsible Fatherhood practitioners on father engagement strategies. Together with the Division of Child Welfare, we also launched a password protected web portal in May. This portal features a wealth of resources to improve father engagement among Child Welfare caseworkers including articles focused on involving fathers in Child Welfare cases, a father-friendly agency check up survey, referral links to local fatherhood programs and the option to subscribe to the monthly Be There for Your Kids e-newsletter. Our partnership with the Child Support Enforcement (CSE) Program has also grown to include the launch of a Child Support specific portal, an informational video explaining the components of Child Support for fathers and tip sheets for dads to use when working with their CSE technicians. The tip sheets can be downloaded from this page of the Colorado Dads website. The campaign hosted a special fatherhood recognition event with Elvis Dumervil of the Denver Broncos? On October 17th, seven fathers and their children received free tickets to the Broncos vs. Jets game from Elvis. They arrived at Invesco Field via a party bus and were then taken on the field to meet some of the players and enjoy the game. Then on Friday, November 12th, Elvis joined the selected dads and kids for pizza and an autograph session. The director of the U.S. Administration for Children and Families, Dr. Earl Johnson, participated in a site visit at the Jefferson County Child Support Fatherhood program on November 17th? There, he learned of the numerous collaborations taking place between fatherhood programs, state agencies and non-profit organizations around the state. We distributed thousands of dollars worth of free giveaways to Colorado fathers and their children? These items ranged from free tickets to Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche and Colorado College hockey games to free trail rides in the San Juan Forest and free admission to the Denver Children's Museum. Each month, the Be There for Your Kids campaign strives to distribute several free or low-cost giveaways to Colorado dads so that they can spend more time with their children. In 2010, the Colorado Dads website received more than 1.6 million hits, 500,000 page views and 115,000 unique visitors? With versions in both English and Spanish, the site is a comprehensive resource for fathers, families and practitioners around the world. We look forward to continued success in 2011 as we raise awareness of the availability of fatherhood programs in Colorado and build stronger relationships between fathers and their children. Thanks for your support!   Fatherhood and Child Support Partnerships As mentioned above, the Colorado Promoting Responsible Fatherhood (PRF) Initiative is actively working with the CSE Program to make fatherhood a strong component of the CSE culture. This began with trainings led by Terry Spindler, grants manager for CSE, for fatherhood practitioners and Child Support technicians earlier this year. Now, we are set to formally launch the Child Support Fatherhood Incentive portal and an updated version of the CSE and fatherhood informational video that was first distributed at the 2010 Fatherhood Training Academy. Stay tuned for more great inroads with CSE in the coming year!   Program Spotlight — Prowers County Fatherhood Program — Lamar 1. What services do you provide to fathers and families with your community access grant funding? The Prowers County Fatherhood Program offers fatherhood training classes to all dads in Prowers County free of charge. The classes are designed to strengthen a father's relationship with his children as well as gain knowledge and support needed to address barriers and achieve effective parenting through positive communication. We offer two 13-week training courses. The Caring Dads and Nurturing Fathers curricula help us to: Assist dads in identifying and overcoming barriers. Focus on the father as a problem solver, role model and nurturer. Focus on the father as a provider, co-parent and community member. Walk dads through various stages and challenges of being a good father to their children. Provide support and guidance with our county Child Support and Child Welfare offices. 2. What do you ultimately want to achieve with your program? We hope to change the culture of fathering in our community through child centered parenting, which will have a lasting impact on entire families. We encourage dads to make positive behavioral changes for their children. We believe that through these efforts our community will have a better understanding of fatherhood and the importance of fathers in building a healthy family environment. 3. Describe at typical day at Prowers County Fatherhood Program. A typical day at the office includes facilitating classes, individual meetings and assessments as well as helping to instill hope in fathers that they can be great dads for their children. 4. What is the best part about working with fathers and families? The best part is seeing a father transform from his initial intake to the end of our program when he's become a better parent for his children. Some of the barriers these men have to overcome can seem insurmountable. It's like seeing a miracle happen and I'm humbled to have a part in it. 5. Share a program/father success story with us. We had a young father who was separated from his spouse and turned to substance abuse. This cost him many things, including his children. With the help of the local domestic violence provider and our Caring Dads program, this father was able to gain support to that helped him through his addiction. Through his substance abuse treatment, this father has been sober for three months, was able to remove himself from unhealthy relationships and is currently repairing the relationship he has with his children. He is determined to overcome his barriers and learn and grow as a father. He wants to be the dad for his kids that he never had. read more Touch By An Angel and the Men's Warehouse Give Away Free Suits to Dads On Sunday, November 21st, community access funded program Touch By an Angel partnered with Emmanuel Christian Center and the Men's Warehouse to host a "Men's Suit Giveaway". Several hundred men from east Denver attended the event where they received suits, ties and shirts. Men and families from all walks of life, including halfway houses, were grateful to receive these clothing items. According to one man who attended the giveaway, "These suits are what I need to get a job!". Touch By An Angel looks forward to hosting another suit giveaway in 2011.   Promoting Responsible Fatherhood in Your Community The Be There for Your Kids campaign encourages you to join our efforts in promoting responsible fatherhood throughout Colorado in 2011! There are many ways you can get involved: Subscribe to The Face of Fatherhood in Colorado monthly e-newsletter and visit the Colorado Dads website on a regular basis for the latest campaign updates. Familiarize yourself with the fatherhood programs located in your community. Volunteer to serve as a mentor to fathers participating in a fatherhood program. Or, distribute Be There for Your Kids promotional materials at different community organizations. To obtain any Be There for Your Kids materials, please e-mail Maggie Spain. Encourage organizations in your community to become more father-friendly. Contact a local school to set up a volunteer program for fathers. The WATCH DOGS (Dads of Great Students) is a great program for fathers to consider. If you live near a military base, research what kinds of programs are available for fathers who are deployed to help them remain connected with their kids. Talk with your employer about what family-life guidelines are in place for fathers, including paternity leave. Host a fatherhood community event in celebration of Father's Day 2011. Make sure you set-up fun activities for kids of all ages to enjoy spending time with their dads. Partner with a local fatherhood program or community organization to host the event. Lead by example. Spend time with your children, letting them know that nothing is more important than the relationship you are building. After all, a childhood only lasts 6,570 days! Thank you for helping fathers make the commitment to be there for their kids!   December Featured Father — Lance Wilson Aurora resident and father of nine (!) Lance Wilson is the most recent father featured on the Colorado Dads website. Lance enjoys playing games with his children as well as helping each child find his or her own talents. What would you consider to be your most inspiring moment as a dad? Hearing my stepson say how he saved money to buy his mom a birthday gift with his own money, because he wanted to follow my example of planning ahead. What would you hope that your kids would say about you if asked what kind of a dad they have? I hope they would say that they have a fun dad who teaches them how to fix things on their own. read more Helping Fathers Share the True Meaning of the Holiday Season with their Children Commercialism is at an all time high and this holiday season producers and distributors of toys and sugary foods will be fighting for children's attention online, in print and on television. Indeed, estimates indicate that $15 billion will be spent on advertising towards children in 2010. But what kids really want this holiday season, even more than expensive advertised gifts, is to spend quality time with their dads. According to a New American Dream poll, 57 percent of kids would rather do something fun with their mom or dad than go shopping. This December, Colorado dads are encouraged to avoid the rush to the mall and instead spend time with their children teaching them the true meaning of the holiday season. "The most important gift you can give your children this holiday season is the gift of your time," said Dan Welch, fatherhood and family specialist with the Colorado Department of Human Services. "Children will remember the memories you create together much longer than any expensive gift will last." There are many free or low-cost activities that fathers can participate in with their children this season to make time together exciting and meaningful. With a little bit of planning, fathers can build stronger relationships and help their children understand the true meaning of the holidays. read more Subscribe to the Latest Be There for Your Kids Public Awareness Campaign Initiatives Our public awareness campaign strives to get the message of responsible fatherhood out to local communities in a variety of ways. The Fastbreak for Fathers blog, written by fatherhood and family specialist Dan Welch, is updated on a regular basis. Recent topics include "A Time of Wonderment", "A Safe Harbor" and "Earning Respect". Become a subscriber of the blog and you will receive automatic e-mail announcements when it is updated. fastbreak blog Check out the Be There for Your Kids Facebook page for all things related to fatherhood. We encourage you to "Like" this page and comment on fatherhood news articles and notes as we increase our number of followers. Be sure to also check out our YouTube channel for the latest campaign videos. AAAA

From: Ozarks Marriage Matters [phyllis@forest.ccsend.com] on behalf of Ozarks Marriage Matters [newsletter@ozarksmarriagematters.org]
Sent: Tuesday, December 21, 2010 5:32 AM
To: Coffin, Bill (ACF)
Subject: [MARKETING EMAIL]OMM News & Notes - December 21, 2010

In This Issue: Sit Back, Relax, and Take a Minute ... Merry Christmas from the Operation Us Staff One Hour Host Training for Individuals or Couples January 5, 2011 Getaway Together Marriage Retreat - January 14-15, 2011 Keep an Eye Out for Our New Billboard Series  Ask Your Relationship Questions

We know you're busy. It's that time of the year, but today we hope you'll take just a few minutes to sit back, relax and listen to area folks talking about the impact Operation Us has had in their lives and the lives of people they know and serve. All you need to do is click on the links below to hear firsthand from people who've worked with the Operation Us project and seen the benefits. -->

-->

Merry Christmas from the Operation Us Staff

  

Check out our new Ask A Question web page where you can send Dr. Baker a question that she just might answer the next time she's on the air with Andy Taylor. -->

From: First Things First [ftf@firstthings.org]
Sent: Sunday, December 19, 2010 6:00 PM
To: Coffin, Bill (ACF)
Subject: [MARKETING EMAIL]Quality from Quantity | Dad to Dad December 2010

 December 2010

Why Kids Lie

I was recently asked why kids lie.  My answer:  "Because we teach them to," after which I was called a liar.  Point withstanding, we unintentionally teach our kids how to lie. We start off by telling our impressionable kids to tell grandma that her Chinese food is better than take out, or that their sister's dance recital was the best thing ever. Soon enough we allow them to tell friends they can't come out and play because they have homework to do, when the truth is they don't want to play with them or that you as parents don't want your kids playing with those bad influences from down the street. With proper training, any kid can be taught to lie. 

Click here to continue

Tell Your Friends!

IMGIMGIMGIMG

 From: Family Bridges [sarah@familybridgeschicago.ccsend.com] on behalf of Family Bridges [info@familybridgeschicago.org]
Sent: Friday, December 17, 2010 12:34 PM
To: Coffin, Bill (ACF)
Subject: [MARKETING EMAIL]Happy Holidays from Family Bridges

In This Issue Game: Family Tree <FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #ffffff; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif" face=Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif color=#ffffff size=2

From: USCCB [marriage@usccb.org]
Sent: Thursday, December 16, 2010 9:30 AM
To: Coffin, Bill (ACF)
Subject: [MARKETING EMAIL]Marriage Monthly: Five Tips to Fight Less, Patience, Choosing Adoption

-->

marriage monthly

DECEMBER 2010

Home   Dating & Engaged    Parenting & Family    For Every Marriage    About Catholic Marriages

Featured Article: Five Tips to Fight Less and Love More During the Holidays The holiday season is back. With family gatherings, high expectations and the pressure to make everyone happy, December can be the most stressful month of the year.  Laurie Puhn, author of "Fight Less, Love More," offers 5 Tips to keep peace in your family READ MORE >> --> Virtue of the Month:  Patience "God give me patience - right now!" Sound familiar? When long-married couples are asked the recipe for marital success, many identify patience as a key ingredient. Like a marriage, patience is the work of a lifetime. Learn how to cultivate it. READ ON >> --> Monthly Book Review:"Adoption: Choosing It, Living It, Loving It" Author Ray Guarandi is a clinical psychologist and father of ten adopted children. He offers "straight answers to heartfelt questions," including concerns about when to adopt, resistance by family members, special needs, open adoption and involvement by birth relatives. READ OUR REVIEW >> --> Marriage in the News:  Illinois Church Leaders Criticize Recent Legislation The issue of same-sex unions continues to make headlines. The Illinois House and Senate have passed a bill to legalize civil unions, which the Governor is expected to sign.  Read why the Illinois Catholic Conference has criticized the legislation. SEE THE ARTICLE >> -->

Marriage Tip of the Month

December 11

"Marriage is one long conversation, checkered with disputes" (Robert Louis Stevenson). How long has your longest argument lasted? An hour? A day? A week? What brought you out of it? Learn from it so the next one can be shorter.
MORE TIPS >>

Happily Even After

Josh and Stacey reflect on the ups and downs of married life with children.

READ their blog

View TV Spots

From: Ozarks Marriage Matters [phyllis@forest.ccsend.com] on behalf of Ozarks Marriage Matters [newsletter@ozarksmarriagematters.org]
Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2010 5:33 AM
To: Coffin, Bill (ACF)
Subject: [MARKETING EMAIL]OMM News & Notes - December 14, 2010

In This Issue: What Kind of Gift Will You Give? Getaway Together Marriage Retreat - January 14-15, 2011 One Hour Host Training for Individuals or Couples January 5, 2011    Ask Your Relationship Questions

Last week when I said that 23% of children living in single-parent families were below the poverty line as compared to only 6% of children in married-couple families, I was wrong. Actually, there are even a higher percentage of children in female-headed families below the poverty line-36%, as compared to the 6% in married couple families. Unfortunately, this kind of occurrence in a child's life, i.e., the non-marriage or divorce of his or her parents is a "gift" that just keeps on giving. It affects health, future wealth and one's education. For instance, let's take a six-year-old whose parents divorce today, and then jump ahead a decade or so to when he applies for college. What kind of challenges will be faced then? --> 

  

Check out our new Ask A Question web page where you can send Dr. Baker a question that she just might answer the next time she's on the air with Andy Taylor - Tuesday, December 21. -->

Forward email This email was sent to bill.coffin@acf.hhs.gov by newsletter@ozarksmarriagematters.org. Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy. Email Marketing by Forest Institute | Operation Us | Forest Institute | 2885 W. Battlefield Rd. | Springfield | MO | 65807

From: Dave and Liz Percival [dave@2-in-2-1.co.uk]
Sent: Monday, December 13, 2010 10:29 AM
To: info@2-in-2-1.co.uk
Subject: Weekly Update of UK Marriage News - No 10.47

He said: "My view remains that we should recognise and value the commitment that people make to one another. And by the way, that's whether it's between a man and a woman, a man and a man or a woman and another woman."

In his first major speech on families policy since taking power, Mr Cameron warned that broken homes were at the root of Britain's social ills. "The seeds of so many social problems – as well as success stories – are sown in the early years," he said. "When parents have bad relationships, their child is more likely to live in poverty, fail at school, end up in prison, be unemployed later in life. It would be wrong for public policy to ignore all this."

Mr Cameron said 46,000 of the most chaotic families cost the country an estimated £4 billion a year - almost £100,000 each – in benefits, social workers, police time and prison places.

He promised plans for a new system of flexible parental leave to help mothers and fathers share childcare during the first year of a baby's life. The tax system must also be more family-friendly, he said. "It's wrong that we're one of the few countries in the world that doesn't properly recognise marriage in the tax system – and I want to see that change," he said. "Of course, I know not everyone agrees with this proposal – and as part of the coalition agreement, we have agreed with the Liberal Democrats that they will abstain on any budget resolutions on transferable tax allowances for married couples."

Speaking to Relate, the relationships charity, in Leeds, Mr Cameron announced that he had appointed a new families "tsar" in a drive to help households in crisis escape unemployment and poverty. Emma Harrison, the entrepreneur and chairman of A4e (Action for Employment), will support hundreds of families in a pilot scheme to help them find work. The Government's new drive will ultimately help 120,000 families experiencing major problems. Mr Cameron said he wanted to try turn around every troubled family in the country by the end of this Parliament.

One aspect of the speech of interest to those reading this newsletter, but not covered in the press reads as follows:

"There's a lot of evidence to suggest that while people initially look to families and friends for help with any problems they face, when things get really tough they do want more expert advice. Indeed, two-thirds of people who have separated, one-half of those who plan to separate, and even one-in-five people in a stable relationship say they would like more direct help with relationship problems.

What's more, as you well know, when couples are helped through their problems, relationships can be revived and if not, breakdown managed in a way that ensures the best possible outcome for children. Put simply: relationship support is what some couples want and what, at times, can work.

Indeed, this morning, I met the campaign organisation Kids in the Middle, an extraordinary coalition of voluntary groups and agony aunts and uncles who help families with relationship troubles – and some of their success stories were inspirational. Now, government could ignore all this. Or it could see if there's anything we can do to help Kids in the Middle, Relate, the Tavistock Centre for Couple Relationships, One Plus One and all those other organisations that provide relationship support. That's what we're doing.

One big problem organisations like you face is a lack of resources. I can announce today we are going to put funding for relationship support on a stable footing. From now on, we will dedicate £7.5 million a year to supporting relationships and this will give you, and other organisations working hard to support families, the certainty you need to plan for the future. I can also announce that we will offer up space in government buildings after hours so you can cut your waiting lists and see more couples.

Another area where we can help is in fighting the stigma against seeking relationship advice. It's a tragedy that so many couples feel they can't seek help because of what others think. Government can take a lead here. We are reviewing sex education in schools, so young people learn about the importance of relationships early on. And we are working with business and the media to see what they can do – in the products they create and campaigns they run – to de-stigmatise relationship support."

Commenting on the speech Dr Katherine Rake, Chief Executive of the Family and Parenting Institute, said: "It is very encouraging to see the Prime Minister recognise that strong relationships between parents are important in all family types. This is an important acknowledgement of the need to focus on the whole family to improve children's lives, rather than taking an isolated child-focused approach.

"Mr Cameron's acknowledgement that spending cuts will present very significant challenges for UK couples was necessary. Money and time are such crucial factors in determining the success of relationships. Parents will now look to the government to deliver on its pledge to extend their rights to request flexible working. Commuting mothers and fathers will also hold Mr Cameron to account on his pledge to improve transport and get them home in time to read a bedtime story."

Dr Rake added: "Marriage is an enormously important institution. However, a tax break for married couples could cost up to half a billion pounds to the public purse and it is unclear that this would operate as an incentive for couples to either stay or get married."

·         Unmarried parents 'to blame for rise in broken homes'

Nearly half of children born today will be living in broken homes by the age of 16 as growing numbers of families split up, according to analysis of official figures reports the Telegraph and the Daily Mail. The sharp increase in unmarried couples having children was to blame for the rise in parental separation rates, a study from the Centre for Social Justice think-tank claimed.

The report called for a major shift in policy to reassert the "vital" importance of marriage as a more stable form of commitment than cohabitation. The research suggested that the taxpayer spent billions of pounds on benefits for single parents as a result of the "utterly avoidable" breakdown in families every year. It followed concerns from Iain Duncan Smith, the work and pensions secretary, that society pays a "heavy price" for separation, in terms of the cost of crimes committed by children from broken homes, lost taxes and rising benefit bills.

Growing numbers of couples are choosing to start a family without getting married first. But the study cited figures showing that unmarried couples were more likely to separate. It warned that the number of children who will see their parents split up by the time they are 16 had risen from 40% in the mid-1980s to 48% today.

While married couples accounted for over half of all births, divorces represented just one fifth of all breakdowns in parental relationships, with the remaining 80 per cent of separations coming from unmarried families. Divorcing parents also accounted for just 14% of the total bill for state benefits incurred by broken families, the report said, compared with 25% for cohabiting parents who separate. The majority of the state benefits bill for relationship breakdown - 62% - was attributed to single mothers.

The study drew on figures from the Office for National Statistics and the Millennium Cohort Study and took account of differing levels of education and income. It was written by Harry Benson, founder of the Bristol Community Family Trust, a relationship education charity. Mr Benson said ministers should focus on improving the stability of unmarried couples through education and policies that promote marriage.

"In a nutshell, strengthening couples who are unmarried new parents means two things: reasserting the importance of marriage and commitment, and providing top quality, evidence-based relationship education programmes that can access significant numbers of unmarried parents," he said. "Reasserting marriage may be contentious but it is vital. Making relationship education available is far less contentious, but needs to build on existing programmes that have demonstrated success."

In 1980 there were one million single parents, but this has now doubled, he said. "Something has gone badly wrong in the intervening years and no government has got to grips with the problem."

The report estimated that the total cost of family breakdown was £20-£24 billion per year in tax credits, housing and other benefits payments. Mr Duncan Smith, who founded the Centre for Social Justice before becoming a Cabinet minister, has suggested that the true cost of family breakdown to the UK economy, including benefits, lost taxes and crime, was far higher - up to £100 billion a year.

Gavin Poole, the executive director of the CSJ, said the report was "alarming". "It is well known that children from broken homes do less well at school and are more likely to turn to drugs, alcohol and crime," he said. "Tax breaks for marriage and far better relationship education, should be taken by ministers and society at large to reverse these worrying social trends."

·         Sexualised products for children facing age curb plan

Retailers selling sexualised products aimed at children could face new restrictions under plans being considered by the government reports the BBC.  An inquiry to explore whether rules should prevent the marketing of items such as "Porn star" T-shirts or padded bras to children has been set up.  A code of conduct on "age appropriate" marketing and a new watchdog are among plans being considered by the review.

Children's Minister Sarah Teather said parents faced a tidal wave of pressure. She said: "Parents often find themselves under a tidal wave of pressure, buffeted by immense pester power from their children for the latest product, craze or trend. I want this review to look at how we can equip parents to deal with the changing nature of marketing, advertising and other pressures that are aimed at their children."

She has asked the chief executive of Christian charity the Mothers' Union, Reg Bailey, to conduct the review, which will also look at the commercialisation of children.

Ms Teather told the BBC it was the cumulative impact of things like magazine images and unsuitable products marketed at young people that worried most people. She said: "We have heard from parents about the impact of going into shops and seeing things that are unsuitable. "If you are a mum and dad, trying to take your children Christmas shopping - it's a pretty hellish experience at the best of times - but when you are seeing all these images all the time it increases the pressure on families." She added: "By reviewing commercialisation and sexualisation of childhood we want to better understand not only how we can help parents resist these things, but also how we encourage all businesses to take their responsibilities as seriously as the best ones already do." She said it was difficult for parents to protect children because of the influence of music videos, displays in High Street shops and features in teen magazines and on websites.

Inquiry chief Mr Bailey is calling on parents to send him examples of products of concern. He will also work with businesses, retailers and advertising firms to ensure that any recommendations he makes are plausible. He said: "It's about the tone and the style of the way things are marketed to children. When you are so bombarded by marketing and sexualised imagery, it almost becomes wallpaper."

In May, Prime Minister David Cameron vowed to take action to protect children from "excessive commercialisation and premature sexualisation". He said he was shocked to discover beds with a "Lolita" branding were being marketed towards six-year-olds. Lolita is a novel, later adapted into an Oscar-nominated movie, in which a middle-aged man becomes sexually obsessed with a precocious 12-year-old girl.

The Family and Parenting Institute welcomed the inquiry and said parents were concerned that young children were experiencing "too much too young". Chief executive Katherine Rake said: "Mothers and fathers regularly tell us that they don't want to see childhood disappearing.  "Confronting this issue is vital if we are to move closer to a family friendly society. We look forward to seeing progress made."

·         Cameron outlines plan to rescue troubled families

The government is to launch a pilot scheme designed to help transform the lives of the most troubled families in up to 10 local authority areas, the Prime Minister David Cameron has announced reports CYPNow. The trials will be led by new "family champion" Emma Harrison, who is the chairman of welfare to work provider, A4E. They will be modelled on the Labour administration's family intervention projects and will provide up to 500 families with one-to-one support from a single named professional. These professionals will be charged with helping families overcome everything from drug and alcohol addiction and long-term unemployment to problems with their children's behaviour.

The six to 10 local authority pilot areas, which are yet to be announced, will receive extra cash to conduct the trials through the new early intervention grant. Cameron claimed that Harrison understands how to help families improve their lives "step-by-step, month-by-month". "She refuses to believe some people are lost causes and has a proven track record of turning lives around," he said. "Her approach is the complete opposite of the impersonal, one-size-fits-all approach that has failed so many families – which is why I have asked her to come on board to help us."

From: Marriage Savers [mike@marriagesavers.org]
Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2010 9:27 AM
To: Coffin, Bill (ACF)
Subject: [MARKETING EMAIL]Marriage Savers Progress 2010, Prospects 2011

 

Mike & Harriet McManus

 

 

Read Endorsements

 

 

 

 

Read Endorsements

 From: Dr. M.P. Wylie [drmpwylie@relationship-research-foundation-inc-rrf.ccsend.com] on behalf of Dr. M.P. Wylie [drmp@usrelationships.org]
Sent: Friday, December 10, 2010 12:20 PM
To: Coffin, Bill (ACF)
Subject: [MARKETING EMAIL]RRF: Make a Difference

Dear Bill,

Make a difference in the lives of children and families with your year-end gift.

In the past four years, RRF has made great progress in supporting families.

4000  single-parents and couples were reached with educational materials and programs that build relationship skills.

12,000  children have a better opportunity of being brought up in healthier, happier and safer home environments.

With your generous support, we can continue to help single-parents, couples, and children have more loving relationships and homes.

$1  will help us get the word out to those looking for hope.

$10  will provide a couple with a skill-based Relationship Enhancement Booklet.

Make a difference in the life of a child! Donate today.

RRF is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization; donations are tax deductible.

Your generosity is deeply appreciated.

Sincere