| With the implementation of Women's Rights | | | | belief that there is a strong associations between |
| movements in the 19th century, and the enactment of | | | | many indicators of child well-being and living with two |
| no-fault divorce statues in the 20th century, the divorce | | | | married biological parents. Others argue that unstable |
| rates skyrocketed, and continues climb. This has | | | | marriage may not provide the same positive |
| resulted in family disruptions, economic hardships and | | | | outcomes as stable marriages. For example, studies |
| family crisis. After divorce, women usually remain the | | | | reveal that children who live in stressful environments |
| custodial parent of their children, however, they | | | | as a result of their parents unstable marriages develop |
| experience financial struggles and parenting difficulties | | | | insecure attachments. |
| due to the absence of a second adult in the home. | | | | Divorce reform has also become a major political and |
| Moreover, many divorced mothers struggle to receive | | | | social agenda. Although many individuals believe that a |
| monetary support from their ex-husbands, even | | | | decrease in the divorce rate will promote the |
| towards the care of their children. | | | | well-being of families in general, and result in positive |
| With the primary focus being on the well-being of | | | | political and social outcomes, this writer suggests that |
| children, a Marriage Movement was established in | | | | laws alone cannot determine marital behavior, and that |
| order to address the high prevalence of divorce. The | | | | not all marriages are worthy of saving. In some |
| initiative has funded programs that promote marriage | | | | instances marriage promotion might prolong violent and |
| through the implementation of agendas directed at | | | | abusive situations, placing individuals at risk and further |
| marriage preparation and enhancement, and by putting | | | | compromising the well-being of children. Moreover, the |
| other systems in place to encourage more couples to | | | | guilt and moral condemnation that marriage promotion |
| get married. Policymakers anticipated that the | | | | efforts may place on those desiring a divorce, can |
| successful implementation of the initiative would benefit | | | | further exacerbate an unstable marital relationship. |
| children most by allowing them to continue to live with | | | | According to estimates, almost one half of all |
| their biological parents instead of alternative family | | | | marriages will ultimately end in divorce. It therefore |
| structures.The effort to promote marriage has been | | | | seems counterproductive to continue to only focus on |
| linked to the well-being of children because public | | | | promoting marriage, and not find ways to make |
| opinion and research findings have suggests that | | | | divorce more amicable for the parties involved. Since |
| children who live with their married parents do better | | | | increasing the well-being of children is the alleged goal |
| than those in other types of family arrangements. | | | | of the marriage promoters, it would seem logical that |
| Research findings have also suggested that living in an | | | | some effort would be made to help the divorce |
| alternative family arrangement, particularly in | | | | process to be less of a traumatic experience for |
| single-mother households, can reduce the monetary | | | | children. Additionally by demonizing divorce , |
| resources, parental time and material resources that | | | | policymakers are encouraging the stigmatization of |
| are available to children, thus placing them at a | | | | those who are divorced, and the endorsing practices |
| disadvantage. | | | | that would prevent them from obtaining the social and |
| Those who advocate for marriage promotion and | | | | economic resources that they need to adequately |
| marriage enhancement policies do so based on the | | | | support themselves and their children. |