Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — One in five Utah children doesn't live in a family with married parents, and the Utah Marriage Commission is working to improve that.
The commission, spearheaded by former Gov. Mike Leavitt and former Utah first lady Jackie Leavitt in 1998, continues to grow as it expands upon its vision to support and strengthen healthy marriages in the state.
At the commission's 25th anniversary celebration at the Capitol on Wednesday, Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson said free resources offered by the Utah Marriage Commission are instrumental for understanding marriage.
"I used to be discouraged when I would hear people talk about their marriages and that they never had an argument with their spouse. I decided that's bull crap," she said. "It's not a failure to have disagreements. It's not a failure to go through rough patches. It's not a failure to have heartache. It's not a failure to have financial troubles. It's part of life and it's part of marriage."
The commission's website, currently hosted by Utah State University, provides free webinars, assessments, online courses and a podcast to help married couples through every walk — from newly engaged to decades of marriage, happy and thriving to considering divorce.
"What I love the most about the Utah Marriage Commission is its free resources for all Utahns, wherever you may be ... I've noticed with my own children, they are much more willing and eager to have support, help, counseling and resources, (more) than was ever available over the last number of decades," said Rep. Melissa Ballard, R-Salt Lake City.
Former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt said the purpose of the commission became evident when it began, because in its beginning, he was frequently questioned on why the state would have interest in private relationships.
"I became a bit of an expert over time — as anyone who works in state government does — of what happens when families fail, and who it is that ultimately does society's work attempting to make up the difference between a healthy family and an unhealthy situation: It is often the state," Mike Leavitt said.
The former governor said he has seen statistics that show the predictability of a child ending up in a juvenile court system, and the factors that contribute most to that likelihood are in what happens at home.
"When the state licenses a marriage, it's a connection between the two private parties who are joining in that marriage, but it's also very much about the obligation that the state, the people collectively, are in fact taking on to do our best to make up for circumstances that are not working," he said.
Ballard said the success of families is what personal success is based on, which pulls in the 20% of children who don't live in families bound by marriage — they need the commission as a state entity and the commission needs to be supported by legislators in order to continue providing support to families in need of help.
One of the top predictors of state economic performance is the share of married parents in the state, Ballard said. She also claimed marital quality is the No. 1 predictor for adult happiness.
"A good marriage is not a matter of luck," she said. "Good preparation, ongoing learning and growth is a working strategy to build and sustain a healthy and strong marriage that benefits children, adults and all of our communities. The goal of this commission has always been to provide Utahns with high quality educational resources to help them navigate this wonderful learning and growing process that we call marriage."
While Utah has one of the highest marriage rates in the nation, Ballard said the success of those marriages hinges on the help the commission provides, as Utah's divorce rates have started to decline.
The Utah Marriage Commission is hosting a free event in February for families to attend workshops and strengthen relationships. More information about the event and the commission, can be found online.
