AUSTIN – Today, TPPF’s Center on Health and Families and the Institute for Family Studies released new research on strengthening marriage and families in Texas. Families are the foundation of society, and we must ensure that public policy does not hinder family formation, development, or opportunities to thrive.

“The nuclear family is the building block of society,” said Greg Sindelar, TPPF’s CEO, “Finding ways to strengthen and support families is vital to Texas’ continued success. Healthy families mean a healthy Texas, and our goal is nothing short of making Texas the best place to start and raise a family.”

TPPF’s new research was conducted in conjunction with Brad Wilcox, Future of Freedom Fellow, Institute for Family Studies; Professor of Sociology and Director of the National Marriage Project, University of Virginia. It focuses on four primary ways to strengthen Texas families:

  1. Teach the Success Sequence in Texas schools;
  2. Promote and incentivize marriage through evaluating existing programs, providing pre-marital resources, investigating property tax breaks, creating public education programs promoting marriage, and reporting family structure data in agency reports;
  3. Create a temporary Commission on Men and Boys to research the unique challenges facing our men and recommend possible solutions; and
  4. Reduce regulatory barriers to housing affordability.

“Children across the Lone Star State are markedly more likely to thrive in school and life if they have the benefit of growing up in a strong and stable, two-parent family,” said Brad Wilcox, “What we see in this new research is that kids in Texas are generally much better off—from child poverty to domestic violence—if they have the benefit of growing up in an intact family.”

“Fewer Texans are choosing to marry and raise children, which threatens the social, cultural, and economic health of our state,” said Andrew Brown, TPPF’s Vice President of Policy, “Our research provides initial steps that Texas can take to promote and strengthen our most valuable resource: our families.”

To read the full paper, click here >>

To watch the research launch event live steam, click here >>

A recording of the research launch event will be available on TPPF’s YouTube page.