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Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Eight Sites within the United States, 2003-2013

Published by ACF | U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | Metadata Last Checked: September 05, 2025 | Last Modified: 2025-07-03
The Supporting Healthy Marriage (SHM) evaluation was launched in 2003 to develop, to implement, and to test the effectiveness of a program aimed at strengthening low-income couples' marriages as one approach for supporting stable and nurturing family environments and parents' and children's well-being. The evaluation was led by MDRC and was sponsored by the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation in the Administration for Children and Families, United States Department of Health and Human Services.The SHM program was a voluntary yearlong marriage education program for low-income married couples who had children or were expecting a child. The program provided a series of group workshops based on structured curricula designed to enhance couples' relationships; supplemental activities to build on workshop themes; and family support services to address participation barriers, connect families with other services, and reinforce curricular themes. The study sample consists of 6,298 couples (12,596 adult sample members) who were expecting a child or had a child under 18 years old at the time of study entry. The sample consists primarily of low-to-modest income, married couples with diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. In each family, one child was randomly selected to be the focus of any child-related measures gathered in the data collection activities. These children ranged from pre-birth to 14 years old at the time of enrollment in the study. Follow-up interviews were conducted at 12 and 30 months after baseline data collection. More detail is provided in the study documentation. Units of Response: Low-income married couples with children Type of Data: Evaluation Tribal Data: No COVID-19 Data: No Periodicity: One-time SORN: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/09/19/2022-20139/privacy-act-of-1974-system-of-records Data Use Agreement: https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/rpxlogin Data Use Agreement Location: https://www.childandfamilydataarchive.org/cfda/archives/cfda/studies/36852/datadocumentation Equity Indicators: Sex Granularity: Household;Individual Spatial: United States Geocoding: Unavailable

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Complete Metadata
@type dcat:Dataset
accessLevel public
bureauCode 
                                            [
  "009:70"
]
contactPoint 
                                            {
  "fn": "Unavailable",
  "@type": "vcard:Contact",
  "hasEmail": "mailto:datagov@acf.hhs.gov"
}
description The Supporting Healthy Marriage (SHM) evaluation was launched in 2003 to develop, to implement, and to test the effectiveness of a program aimed at strengthening low-income couples' marriages as one approach for supporting stable and nurturing family environments and parents' and children's well-being. The evaluation was led by MDRC and was sponsored by the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation in the Administration for Children and Families, United States Department of Health and Human Services.The SHM program was a voluntary yearlong marriage education program for low-income married couples who had children or were expecting a child. The program provided a series of group workshops based on structured curricula designed to enhance couples' relationships; supplemental activities to build on workshop themes; and family support services to address participation barriers, connect families with other services, and reinforce curricular themes. The study sample consists of 6,298 couples (12,596 adult sample members) who were expecting a child or had a child under 18 years old at the time of study entry. The sample consists primarily of low-to-modest income, married couples with diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. In each family, one child was randomly selected to be the focus of any child-related measures gathered in the data collection activities. These children ranged from pre-birth to 14 years old at the time of enrollment in the study. Follow-up interviews were conducted at 12 and 30 months after baseline data collection. More detail is provided in the study documentation. <b>Units of Response: </b>Low-income married couples with children <b>Type of Data: </b>Evaluation <b>Tribal Data: </b>No <b>COVID-19 Data: </b>No <b>Periodicity: </b>One-time <b>SORN: </b>https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/09/19/2022-20139/privacy-act-of-1974-system-of-records <b>Data Use Agreement: </b>https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/rpxlogin <b>Data Use Agreement Location: </b>https://www.childandfamilydataarchive.org/cfda/archives/cfda/studies/36852/datadocumentation <b>Equity Indicators: </b>Sex <b>Granularity: </b>Household;Individual <b>Spatial: </b>United States <b>Geocoding: </b>Unavailable
distribution 
                                            [
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "The Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Early Impacts on Low-Income Families",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "The Supporting Healthy Marriage (SHM) evaluation was launched in 2003 using a rigorous research design to test the effectiveness of one possible approach to improving outcomes for lower-income parents and children: strengthening marriages as a foundation for supporting stable, nurturing family environments and the well-being of parents and children. The Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), sponsored the evaluation as part of its family-strengthening research agenda. The evaluation is led by MDRC in collaboration with Abt Associates, Child Trends, Optimal Solutions Group, and Public Strategies as well as academic experts Thomas Bradbury, Philip Cowan, and Carolyn Pape Cowan. 

SHM is motivated by two strands of research. One growing body of research shows that parents and children tend to fare better on a range of outcomes when they live in low-conflict, two-parent families; parent-child relationships are more supportive and nurturing when parents experience less distress in their marriages; and children are less likely to live in poverty when they grow up in two-parent families. A different strand of research points to the potential effectiveness of preventive, skills-based relationship education curricula for improving the quality of marriages. To date, this research has focused primarily on middle-income couples. Collectively, these findings have motivated policymakers to test strategies that could improve relationship stability and quality for low-income parents and, thereby, improve the outcomes for parents and their children Data Product Type: Report",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/opre/early_impacts_low.pdf"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "The Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Final Implementation Findings",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "The Supporting Healthy Marriage (SHM) evaluation was launched in 2003 using a rigorous research design to test the effectiveness of one possible approach to improving outcomes for lower-income parents and children: strengthening marriages as a foundation for supporting stable, nurturing family environments and the well-being of parents and children.1 The Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), sponsored the evaluation as part of its family-strengthening research agenda. The evaluation is led by MDRC in collaboration with Abt Associates, Child Trends, Optimal Solutions Group, and Public Strategies as well as academic experts Thomas Bradbury, Philip Cowan, and Carolyn Pape Cowan. 

SHM is motivated by two strands of research. One growing body of research shows that parents and children tend to fare better on a range of outcomes when they live in low-conflict, two-parent families; parent-child relationships are more supportive and nurturing when parents experience less distress in their marriages; and children are less likely to live in poverty when they grow up in two-parent families. A different strand of research points to the potential effectiveness of preventive, skills-based relationship education curricula for improving the quality of marriages. To date, this research has focused primarily on middle-income couples. Collectively, these findings have motivated policymakers to test strategies that could improve relationship stability and quality for low-income parents and, thereby, improve outcomes for parents and their children. Data Product Type: Report",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/opre/supp_final.pdf"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "DS2 12-Month Survey",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "This data file is about 12-Month survey information from the Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Eight Sites within the United States, 2003-2013 (ICPSR 34420) Temporal: 2003-2014, Restriction: Restricted-use Aggregate, Formats: N/A",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/ICPSR/studies/34420/datadocumentation"
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  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "DS2 12-Month Survey",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "This data file is about 12-Month survey information from the Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Eight Sites within the United States, 2003-2013 (ICPSR 34420) Temporal: 2003-2014, Restriction: Restricted-use Aggregate, Formats: N/A",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/ICPSR/studies/34420/summary"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "DS3 Management Information System (MIS) Extended Activities",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "This data file is about Management Information System (MIS) Extended Activities information from the Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Eight Sites within the United States, 2003-2013 (ICPSR 34420) Temporal: 2003-2014, Restriction: Restricted-use Micro, Formats: N/A",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/ICPSR/studies/34420/datadocumentation"
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  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "DS3 Management Information System (MIS) Extended Activities",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "This data file is about Management Information System (MIS) Extended Activities information from the Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Eight Sites within the United States, 2003-2013 (ICPSR 34420) Temporal: 2003-2014, Restriction: Restricted-use Micro, Formats: N/A",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/ICPSR/studies/34420/summary"
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  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "DS4 Management Information System (MIS) Family Support Coordinator Contacts",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "This data file is about Management Information System (MIS) Family Support Coordinator Contacts information from the Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Eight Sites within the United States, 2003-2013 (ICPSR 34420) Temporal: 2003-2014, Restriction: Restricted-use Micro, Formats: N/A",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/ICPSR/studies/34420/datadocumentation"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "DS4 Management Information System (MIS) Family Support Coordinator Contacts",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "This data file is about Management Information System (MIS) Family Support Coordinator Contacts information from the Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Eight Sites within the United States, 2003-2013 (ICPSR 34420) Temporal: 2003-2014, Restriction: Restricted-use Micro, Formats: N/A",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/ICPSR/studies/34420/summary"
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  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "DS5 Management Information System (MIS) Marriage Education Groups",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "This data file is about Management Information System (MIS) Marriage Education Groups information from the Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Eight Sites within the United States, 2003-2013 (ICPSR 34420) Temporal: 2003-2014, Restriction: Restricted-use Micro, Formats: N/A",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/ICPSR/studies/34420/datadocumentation"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "DS5 Management Information System (MIS) Marriage Education Groups",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "This data file is about Management Information System (MIS) Marriage Education Groups information from the Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Eight Sites within the United States, 2003-2013 (ICPSR 34420) Temporal: 2003-2014, Restriction: Restricted-use Micro, Formats: N/A",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/ICPSR/studies/34420/summary"
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  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "DS6 Management Information System (MIS) Payments",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "This data file is about Management Information System (MIS) Payments information from the Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Eight Sites within the United States, 2003-2013 (ICPSR 34420) Temporal: 2003-2014, Restriction: Restricted-use Micro, Formats: N/A",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/ICPSR/studies/34420/datadocumentation"
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  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "DS6 Management Information System (MIS) Payments",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "This data file is about Management Information System (MIS) Payments information from the Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Eight Sites within the United States, 2003-2013 (ICPSR 34420) Temporal: 2003-2014, Restriction: Restricted-use Micro, Formats: N/A",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/ICPSR/studies/34420/summary"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "DS7 Management Information System (MIS) Referrals",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "This data file is about Management Information System (MIS) Referrals information from the Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Eight Sites within the United States, 2003-2013 (ICPSR 34420) Temporal: 2003-2014, Restriction: Restricted-use Micro, Formats: N/A",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/ICPSR/studies/34420/datadocumentation"
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  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "DS7 Management Information System (MIS) Referrals",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "This data file is about Management Information System (MIS) Referrals information from the Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Eight Sites within the United States, 2003-2013 (ICPSR 34420) Temporal: 2003-2014, Restriction: Restricted-use Micro, Formats: N/A",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/ICPSR/studies/34420/summary"
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  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "DS1 Baseline Data",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "This data file is about baseline information from the Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Eight Sites within the United States, 2003-2013 (ICPSR 34420) Temporal: 2003-2014, Restriction: Restricted-use Micro, Formats: N/A",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/ICPSR/studies/34420/datadocumentation"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "DS1 Baseline Data",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "This data file is about baseline information from the Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Eight Sites within the United States, 2003-2013 (ICPSR 34420) Temporal: 2003-2014, Restriction: Restricted-use Micro, Formats: N/A",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/ICPSR/studies/34420/summary"
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  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "DS11 30-Month Outcomes Dataset",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "This data set is about 30-Month Outcomes information from the Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Eight Sites within the United States, 2003-2013 (ICPSR 34420) Temporal: 2003-2014, Restriction: Restricted-use Aggregate, Formats: N/A",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/ICPSR/studies/34420/datadocumentation"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "DS11 30-Month Outcomes Dataset",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "This data set is about 30-Month Outcomes information from the Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Eight Sites within the United States, 2003-2013 (ICPSR 34420) Temporal: 2003-2014, Restriction: Restricted-use Aggregate, Formats: N/A",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/ICPSR/studies/34420/summary"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "DS12 30-Month Survey",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "This data set is about 30-Month Survey information from the Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Eight Sites within the United States, 2003-2013 (ICPSR 34420) Temporal: 2003-2014, Restriction: Restricted-use Aggregate, Formats: N/A",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/ICPSR/studies/34420/datadocumentation"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "DS12 30-Month Survey",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "This data set is about 30-Month Survey information from the Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Eight Sites within the United States, 2003-2013 (ICPSR 34420) Temporal: 2003-2014, Restriction: Restricted-use Aggregate, Formats: N/A",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/ICPSR/studies/34420/summary"
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  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "DS13 30-Month Youth Survey Dataset",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "This data set is about 30-Month Youth Survey information from the Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Eight Sites within the United States, 2003-2013 (ICPSR 34420) Temporal: 2003-2014, Restriction: Restricted-use Aggregate, Formats: N/A",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/ICPSR/studies/34420/datadocumentation"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "DS13 30-Month Youth Survey Dataset",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "This data set is about 30-Month Youth Survey information from the Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Eight Sites within the United States, 2003-2013 (ICPSR 34420) Temporal: 2003-2014, Restriction: Restricted-use Aggregate, Formats: N/A",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/ICPSR/studies/34420/summary"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "DS15 Child Longitudinal File",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "This data set is about Child Longitudinal File information from the Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Eight Sites within the United States, 2003-2013 (ICPSR 34420) Temporal: 2003-2014, Restriction: Restricted-use Aggregate, Formats: N/A",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/ICPSR/studies/34420/datadocumentation"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "DS15 Child Longitudinal File",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "This data set is about Child Longitudinal File information from the Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Eight Sites within the United States, 2003-2013 (ICPSR 34420) Temporal: 2003-2014, Restriction: Restricted-use Aggregate, Formats: N/A",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/ICPSR/studies/34420/summary"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "DS14 Direct Child Assessment Dataset",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "This data set is about Direct Child Assessment information from the Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Eight Sites within the United States, 2003-2013 (ICPSR 34420) Temporal: 2003-2014, Restriction: Restricted-use Micro, Formats: N/A",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/ICPSR/studies/34420/datadocumentation"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "DS14 Direct Child Assessment Dataset",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "This data set is about Direct Child Assessment information from the Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Eight Sites within the United States, 2003-2013 (ICPSR 34420) Temporal: 2003-2014, Restriction: Restricted-use Micro, Formats: N/A",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/ICPSR/studies/34420/summary"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "DS10 Observational Study - Inter-rater Reliability Dataset",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "This data set is about Observational Study - Inter-rater Reliability information from the Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Eight Sites within the United States, 2003-2013 (ICPSR 34420) Temporal: 2003-2014, Restriction: Restricted-use Micro, Formats: N/A",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/ICPSR/studies/34420/datadocumentation"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "DS10 Observational Study - Inter-rater Reliability Dataset",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "This data set is about Observational Study - Inter-rater Reliability information from the Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Eight Sites within the United States, 2003-2013 (ICPSR 34420) Temporal: 2003-2014, Restriction: Restricted-use Micro, Formats: N/A",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/ICPSR/studies/34420/summary"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "DS16 Standardized Baseline Dataset",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "This data set is about Standardized Baseline information from the Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Eight Sites within the United States, 2003-2013 (ICPSR 34420) Temporal: 2003-2014, Restriction: Restricted-use Micro, Formats: N/A",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/ICPSR/studies/34420/datadocumentation"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "DS16 Standardized Baseline Dataset",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "This data set is about Standardized Baseline information from the Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Eight Sites within the United States, 2003-2013 (ICPSR 34420) Temporal: 2003-2014, Restriction: Restricted-use Micro, Formats: N/A",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/ICPSR/studies/34420/summary"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "DS8 Observational Study - Adult Dataset",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "This data set is about observational study - adult information from the Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Eight Sites within the United States, 2003-2013 (ICPSR 34420) Temporal: 2003-2014, Restriction: Restricted-use Micro, Formats: N/A",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/ICPSR/studies/34420/datadocumentation"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "DS8 Observational Study - Adult Dataset",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "This data set is about observational study - adult information from the Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Eight Sites within the United States, 2003-2013 (ICPSR 34420) Temporal: 2003-2014, Restriction: Restricted-use Micro, Formats: N/A",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/ICPSR/studies/34420/summary"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "DS9 Observational Study - Child Dataset",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "This data set is about observational study - child information from the Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Eight Sites within the United States, 2003-2013 (ICPSR 34420) Temporal: 2003-2014, Restriction: Restricted-use Micro, Formats: N/A",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/ICPSR/studies/34420/datadocumentation"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "DS9 Observational Study - Child Dataset",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "This data set is about observational study - child information from the Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Eight Sites within the United States, 2003-2013 (ICPSR 34420) Temporal: 2003-2014, Restriction: Restricted-use Micro, Formats: N/A",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/ICPSR/studies/34420/summary"
  }
]
identifier https://healthdata.gov/api/views/dnq4-4gua
issued 2023-11-17
keyword 
                                            [
  "research and evaluation"
]
landingPage https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/project/supporting-healthy-marriages-2003-2014
modified 2025-07-03
programCode 
                                            [
  "009:103"
]
publisher 
                                            {
  "name": "ACF",
  "@type": "org:Organization"
}
theme 
                                            [
  "ACF"
]
title Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Eight Sites within the United States, 2003-2013

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