The Healthy Marriage Project was founded in 2004 by lifetime therapist and college professor Dr. Carolyn Curtis. She discovered that communities across the nation were organizing and reducing their divorce rate by up to 50%. After a successful career as a therapist helping one couple at a time, Curtis envisioned an organization that would be capable of changing the lives of thousands of couples and their children across our community. In 2005 HMP obtained its 501 (c) (3) designation and began providing relationship skills classes through community and faith-based organizations in the Sacramento Region. HMP received its first significant funding in the form of a $50,000 grant from the Compassion Capital Fund, with which Curtis and team of dedicated volunteers were able to build a coalition of faith based and community based organizations. Over 40 organizations offered a simple and effective relationship skills program, effecting over 200 families. Based on the successful completion of this grant, the Executive Director was invited to speak at the White House regarding its remarkable accomplishments..

In 2006, HMP applied for and was awarded $2.5 million from the Administration for Children and Families to provide relationship skills classes to low income pregnant unwed couples or couples with an infant. The resulting Flourishing Families Program, now in its fourth year, has served over 500 families, and its success has been nationally recognized. In 2009 HMP was chosen as one of three from a total of 120 healthy marriage demonstration grantees to provide peer to peer training. HMP was selected to lead four workshops at the National Healthy Marriage - Responsible Fatherhood Grantee Conference. Also in 2009, the United States Department of Health and Human Services contracted with ICF International to conduct a study of hundreds of programs around the country and identify successful strategies. In the resulting published study, HMP was chosen as one of the top eight organizations in the nation serving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients for the implementation of innovative collaborations between TANF agencies, faith-based and community organizations. 

During the past four years, while the majority of HMP’s efforts have been devoted to the federally funded Flourishing Families Program (FFP), HMP has achieved the following additional notable accomplishments. With a small grant from the California Healthy Marriages Coalition, HMP provided 15,000 service hours to approximately 1,500 people. Classes offered included programs for both singles and couples at various relationship stages. With a grant from the Dibble Institute, relationship skills programs have been offered in classes at local high schools and youth organizations, reaching 704 students. Additionally, in January of 2010, HMP was awarded a contract by Consortium for Community Servicesto provide relationship skills classes to 40 recent parolees with a mental illness.

Through all of our programs, we focus on giving individuals and couples the skills they need to create a healthy family. As one of our recent graduates reported, “Now we put our children to bed and sit and talk with each other. Now, our children have a fighting chance.” 

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