Healthy Marriage Initiative
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"The strength of marriage and relationships in Native Communities is not only in the personal commitment of the partners, but in the commitment of the community to celebrate the commitment of married couples and their relationships."
-Commissioner Quanah Stamps |
What is the Native American Healthy Marriage Initiative (NAHMI)? |
ANA seeks to support projects that include approaches to improve child well-being by removing barriers to form and sustain healthy marriages and strengthen families in Native communities. Studies have shown a clear link between healthy marriages and child well-being. A component of the Administration for Children and Families Healthy Marriage Initiative, the Native American Healthy Marriage Initiative (NAHMI) promotes culturally competent strategies to strengthen Native American families and communities by fostering healthy marriages, responsible fatherhood, and child well-being. The NAHMI includes three components:
- Education and Communication;
- The Creation and Enhancement of Collaborations and Partnerships; and
- Identifying Resources.
Program Areas of Interest:
- Projects that provide pre-marital youth education in high schools, youth organizations, and community centers on the value of healthy marriages and healthy relationship skills including conflict resolution, communication, and commitment.
- Projects that offer marriage education, marriage skills, relationship skills, and parenting skills.
- Projects that provide public advertising campaigns in Native American communities on the value of healthy marriage as a way to improve relationships and strengthen families.
- Projects that offer pre-marital education and marriage skills training for couples, individuals, or engaged couples interested in marriage. Training would include a marital educational course covering communication, conflict resolution, and commitment.
- Projects that provide marriage enhancement/enrichment and marriage skills training programs for married couples to improve or strengthen their relationship through a certified marital education course. The course should include lessons on communication, conflict resolution, and commitment.
- Projects that teach at-risk communities healthy relationship and marriage skills using married couples as role-models and mentors.
- Projects that conduct research on the benefits of healthy marriages and healthy marriage education.
Goals:
- Increase the percentage of Native children who are raised by two parents in a healthy marriage environment.
- Increase the percentage of Native married couples who are in healthy marriages.
- Increase the percentage of Native premarital couples who are equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to form and sustain a healthy marriage.
- Increase the percentage of Native youth and young adults who have the skills and knowledge to make informed decisions about healthy relationships including skills that can help them eventually form and sustain a healthy marriage.
- Increase public awareness in Native communities about the value of healthy marriages and the skills and knowledge that can help couples form and sustain healthy marriages.
- Encourage and support research on Native healthy marriages and healthy marriage education.
- Increase the percentage of Native women, men and children in homes that are free of domestic violence.
