Andrew Yang Policy on FREE MARRIAGE COUNSELING FOR ALL

[Sherman A1]

Children raised in two-parent households have better outcomes across almost every dimension. Studies also show that being in a happy marriage contributes to longevity and life satisfaction. However, there is currently very little support out there for people who are looking for assistance in managing their marital relationship.

Because of the huge societal good from keeping married couples who want to stay together in their relationships, marriage counseling for interested couples should be free or heavily subsidized by the government.

"Marriage rates have plummeted across the board in America. And if you do get married, it’s tough to stay together through all of the stresses that accompany marriage and particularly child-rearing. Any couple that stays together is a win for the next generation. We should support families who want to stay together in any way we can."

"Include family counseling in any healthcare plan offered through the federal government.
Mandate the inclusion of family counseling services in any plan sold through the ACA marketplaces.
Subsidize marriage counseling provided by any credentialed provider through the tax code."

https://www.yang2020.com/policies/free-marriage-counseling/

[Honeycombe8]

1. I wonder what the percentage is that marriage counseling helps prevent divorce?

My guess is that it doesn't. That it's a last ditch effort. But I could be wrong. If it's ineffective, there's not a good reason to provide that as a service for free. Just like medical services, there has to be some reasonable expectation of the treatment being beneficial.

[Sherman A1]

2. I don't entirely disagree with you

but, I also believe that it may in some cases be helpful and for those who want to give it a try but cannot afford it I would think this is a worthwhile approach to help them.

[Honeycombe8]

3. For me, that's not enough.

It's not enough that sometimes it can be helpful, so it would be great if they could get it for free. That just means a lot of people would use it, with most getting no benefit. People are free to get any service they want, when they pay for it themselves. But when you ask someone else to pay for it, there should be some sort of indication that the service does what it is intended to do. That's seems teasonable to me.

Also, Churches and other organizations offer types of marriage counseling, for free or minimal cost.

I would be more interested in paying for pre-marital counseling. There's more of a chance of that working, IMO. But maybe there are stats on marital counseling to show it helps in at least half of the cases.

[Sherman A1]

4. You are certainly entitled to your opinion

as is everyone else and while we are on the topic may I ask, what other candidate is even speaking about trying to keep marriages together and the benefits that a two parent household has for the children of a marriage?