The Family Foundation believes in marriage as a lifelong union between one man and one woman, an institution of God and a foundation for civil society. An abundance of social science shows us that men, women, and children benefit economically, physically, and emotionally from a stable, two-parent marriage and family. Marriage promotes social order and provides a vehicle for long-term economic development and security within society.
If we want a thriving economy, we have to have thriving, two-parent families. Social science verifies that single parents are far more likely to live in poverty. According to University of Virginia sociologist Brad Wilcox, if we were to increase the percent of children living in married homes to the level we experienced in 1970, scholars estimate that we would see child poverty drop by approximately 20 percent and Virginia welfare spending drop by millions. One study found that the cost of family fragmentation to Virginia taxpayers is at least $750 million annually.
The Family Foundation seeks to promote and defend the traditional marriage unit as the foundation to a stable society.
What we are doing:
- Strengthening Marriage | Virginia’s no-fault divorce laws make unilateral divorce too easy. These laws need to be tightened to encourage marriage counseling and to protect the best interest of children.
- Opposing Undermining Marriage | Homosexual advocates have worked to diminish the status of marriage by providing marriage benefits to any relationship. Already, private companies in Virginia can do so. Despite a marriage amendment that prohibits this, efforts are underway to expand this to state and local government.
- Opposing Making Homosexual Behavior a Protected Class | Every year there are efforts in Virginia to add homosexuality to the list of protected classes in non-discrimination laws. This is not only unnecessary, as no evidence of discrimination exists, but has potential negative ramifications on religious liberty.
