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Tonya Papanikolas reportingThe state government is getting involved in preparing people for marriage.
With federal money, the Utah Department of Workforce Services has come up with a program that encourages couples to get counseling before they tie the knot.
The Department of Workforce Services offers a program called the Utah Healthy Marriage Initiative. The commission that runs it says not only are divorce rates too high, but divorce has high costs for the state.
One study showed Utahns spend up to $276 million a year on things like food stamps and child support after divorces and unwed childbearing.
So the marriage commission has a plan. When you meet that special someone and decide to take that walk down the aisle, you're likely not thinking of the hardships ahead. Alan Hawkins, vice chair of the Utah Commission on Marriage, says, "We expect marriage to just be a fairy tale almost and to completely fulfill our needs."
But that's not reality, and the missed expectations often translate to divorces, which also impact the state's poverty level. Hawkins says, "Two main forces that drive poverty in our state and every state are divorce, or when healthy marriages fail to form."
So recently the Commission on Marriage teamed up with the Richter 7 ad agency to get the word out to young couples that they can prepare for marriage. Hawkins says, "One of the things we thought was really needed here in Utah was to increase the number of couples taking advantage of premarital education and counseling services."
"A lot of people are not aware these services exit, and many are not sure where to find them," said Adam Hilton, Richter 7 account manager.
Richter 7 plans to form a Web site with counseling resources, along with TV and radio ads, all directing couples to counseling services. Hawkins says, "The thing they focus most on is being able to communicate honestly and effectively."
Couples also learn what they can expect in a marriage. Research shows all the preparation makes a big difference. "The evidence is that it does decrease the divorce rate, at least in the first three to five years of marriage, which are the highest risk years of divorce," Hawkins says.
The state is going to start by targeting Weber and Washington Counties. It will eventually even offer discounted marriage licenses to couples there who have gone through marriage counseling.
The campaign will likely be unveiled next year.
E-mail: tpapanikolas@ksl.com
