Prioritizing Marriage
Data shows that children raised with two parents have better upward mobility and fewer social service needs later in life. Healthy relationships are key.
- Utah Marriage Commission resources – We appreciate the relationship between the Governor’s office and Utah Marriage Commission as we work to encourage healthy marriages. Podcasts, classes and other resources on healthy relationships can be found at strongermarriage.org.
- Prepare young adults for marriage/financial success – Educate Utahns on the Success Sequence – graduate high school, engage full time in the workforce, and marry before having children gives adults a 97% chance of avoiding poverty. Our goal is to have more school districts share this info with students, and incorporate the Success Sequence in high school curriculum.
- Measure family structure in data – Work with state agencies and others to collect this data so we better understand how family structure impacts childhood outcomes.
- Educate on the population replacement rate – Having a healthy population replacement rate (2.1 births per couple) impacts the state’s future workforce and economy. Utah has the fourth highest birth rate in the country behind South Dakota, Nebraska and Alaska. The 2022 United States fertility rate is 1.66 and Utah’s is 1.85.