How Oklahoma Laid the Foundation for Its Marriage Initiative

In 1999, policymakers in Oklahoma began to consider how state government might play a role in strengthening families and marriages. The governor and key leaders sought support for a statewide “marriage initiative.†In its first few years, the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative (OMI) tested strategies and approaches. Some worked as anticipated, and those that did not were revised or abandoned. Over time, OMI leaders developed an intervention offering marriage education, identified a stable source of funding, and established a public-private management structure to expand and sustain the initiative. This description of OMI's beginnings and progress provides insights into key strategies and how the state's approach evolved.