A New Marriage Proposal

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The program's administrators are sensitive to the criticisms of marriage education. In response to Legal Momentum's discrimination complaint, they say they already had job services for the mothers in place, through the Head Start programs. "We never discriminate on the basis of gender," says CSC executive director Pat Levin. Concluding an investigation into the charges last month, HHS agreed with Levin. And her claim does seem to be true — at one home visit, Faverey helped Rose identify some jobs she could apply for despite her medical condition. CSC says it also screens for domestic violence and refers some couples to counseling services rather than encouraging marriage as a near-term goal. "We're not in business of taking folk to the altar," says instructor Edwards. "We're promoting healthy relationships." Though the last course will conclude in December, Edwards says CSC will continue to incorporate lessons about marriage and relationships into its work. The agency's Head Start staff, for instance, now gets training to identify and mentor parents in conflict.

The course's graduates, meanwhile, are trying to fit matrimony into their life plans. "Marriage is a chance you have to take," says Sims. His partner, Bryant, still isn't sure. She and Sims have been hunting for months for a home they can afford outside the projects. "I do want to be married someday," she says. "And Lamont would make a good husband. I just don't think we're there yet."