Strong families are important to the well-being of our children and a healthy view of human sexuality is a key component of strong families. State and community leaders must work to ensure that the laws and policies of Michigan work to protect and promote the public health by shielding children from the harms of divorce and unhealthy sexual influences. By shoring up laws governing sex education, restricting exposure to obscenity and minimizing the negative effects of divorce, policymakers can give our most vulnerable citizens a better chance to build their own strong families.

Public Policy Recommendations

Divorce Effects Programs
Many states and municipalities require divorcing couples to attend a divorce effects program if they have minor children. This requirement recognizes that divorce can have a serious long-term impact on a child’s life. While no program can eliminate the devastation a child experiences as his family disintegrates, they can help parents work to minimize disruption and recognize and address behaviors and fears the child may exhibit as a result of the divorce.

Parenting Plans
Legislation to encourage divorcing parents to cooperate in child rearing issues should be implemented.

Adoption Promotion
The mission of the Children’s Trust Fund should be expanded to include adoption promotion efforts and to offset adoption expenses for babies of unmarried mothers. Additionally, the Family Independence Agency and all agencies that receive family planning funding should be required to educate pregnant minors about the process and the benefits of adoption for the baby and for the expectant mother. This is particularly true for mothers that receive public assistance.

Encourage Married Couple Adoption
The legislature should direct sate agencies to give priority to married couples as adoptive parents and to protect private adoption agencies from penalties if they choose to adopt a similar policy.

Public Policy Successes

Restricting the Display of Obscenity
The exhibition of sexually explicit material which is harmful to minors (obscenity) should not be displayed within the view of children. All material of this nature should be displayed beyond the reach and view of minors. Many business establishments already to this, and such action would not unduly burden stores or infringe on an adult's constitutional right to gain access to the material. We are pleased that Public Act 192 (2003) introduced by Rep. Triette Reeves was signed into law on Nov. 6, 2003, and made effective Janu. 1, 2004. The law survived a court challenge led by the Michigan Booksellers Association, and was ruled consitutional on Sep. 13, 2004.

Strengthen Human Sexuality Education
Clear program guidelines, outcomes, and expected behavior should be incorporated into our sex education laws. While current law provides sound process guidelines for schools developing sex education programs, greater parental involvement should be encouraged. Additionally, schools that opt to teach sex education should be required to place a greater emphasis on marriage as the preferred setting for sexual activity. Finally, the law should clearly prohibit schools from presenting materials that may lead students to believe that certain sexual behaviors are legal when they are illegal.

SB 943 and HB 5478, introduced by Sen. Wayne Kuipers and Rep. John Stahl, were signed into law June 29, 2004, effective for the start of the 2004-2005 school year. These laws require school districts which do teach sex education to form sex education advisory boards, requires at least one-half of the boards' members to be parents and a parent to serve as co-chair, and requires that abstinence and Michigan's laws regarding sexual activity be taught in the sex education curriculum. The law provides a complaint and penalty process for school districts which do not comply with the law.

Research

Current Activity

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