The Alliance for Marriage (AFM) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit research and education organization dedicated to promoting marriage and addressing the epidemic of fatherless families in the United States. AFM exists to educate the public, the media, elected officials, and civil society leaders on the benefits of marriage for children, adults and society. AFM also exists to promote reforms designed to strengthen the institution of marriage and restore a culture of married fatherhood in American society.

The Alliance for Marriage is committed to supporting the following public policy and civil society reforms:

PUBLIC POLICY REFORMS

1. Reduce the tax burden on married families with children.
    
   
2. Make adoption affordable for more married couples by providing increased tax incentives for adoption.
    
   
3. Require counseling directed at marital reconciliation for wives and husbands considering a divorce in families with children.
    
   
4. Eliminate all federal and state welfare policies which penalize welfare recipients who are married.
    
   
5. Fund public education campaigns emphasizing the importance of marriage and married fatherhood to the well-being of both children and adults.
    
   
6. Support community efforts that encourage fathers to commit to their children and families through marriage.

CIVIL SOCIETY REFORMS

1. The media should offer more positive portrayals of marriage and married fatherhood which accurately reflect the positive influence of marriage on the lives of adults and children.
    
   
2. Educational institutions, including secondary schools and colleges, should adopt curricula and textbooks which accurately describe the benefits of marriage for adults, children and society.
    
   
3. Clergy should voluntarily enter into agreements to require a minimum level of pre-marital counseling prior to performing a wedding. When adopted by clergy in a given geographic area, such agreements tend to increase the percentage of couples who participate in pre-marital counseling.
    
   
4. Businesses should do more to voluntarily help strengthen their employees' marriages, including offering flex-time, job-sharing, and home-based work options.