Hispanic Healthy Marriage Initiative.

HHS’ Administration for Children and Families (ACF) announced the Hispanic Healthy Marriage Initiative. The initiative is designed to offer Hispanic couples greater access to voluntary marriage education services where they can acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to form and sustain a healthy marriage. It includes a national roundtable this October 14 and 15 in Washington, DC, which will convene national and local leaders to discuss implementation of the program.

“Thanks to the leadership of President George W. Bush, Hispanic Americans will receive the support they deserve to strengthen marriages, children, families and communities,” said HHS Assistant Secretary for Children and Families, Wade F. Horn, Ph.D.

Hispanics represent the nation’s largest minority group. They often face higher than average rates of poverty and out-of wedlock pregnancies. Healthy marriage services provide an important intervention to help Hispanic couples, children and families.

“The health of Hispanic families is critical to the health of our nation,” said Frank Fuentes, deputy commissioner of ACF’s Administration on Children, Youth and Families. “This new initiative will help strengthen Hispanic marriages and families.”

The Hispanic Healthy Marriage Initiative is an outreach effort based on the President’s Healthy Marriage Initiative introduced in February 2002. The Initiative was created by HHS civil servants and is designed to help all low-income couples in order to improve the well being of children and strengthen families.

For more information at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/healthymarriage/about/hispanic_hm_initiative.html