NEW PUBLICATION
Family Guide to Internet Safety

The Internet is a wonderful tool that benefits families in many ways. However, like many good things, it does have potential dangers.

Michigan Family Forum is pleased to announce the release of its new Family Guide to Internet Safety. This 2nd edition contains tools to help parents protect their children from the potential dangers lurking on the Internet. New sections include information on current Internet trends such as chatting, social networking, online videogaming and gambling and more.

MFF's Guide received an endorsement from Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox who has launched his own "Cyber Safety Initiative" (Michigan CSI) to help parents keep their kids safe online. Information about this new educational program is also included in the Guide.

Click here to download a free copy. Click here to visit MFF's Publications page for information on how to obtain printed copies.

2007-2008 Legislative Session

Michigan Family Forum kicked off the new two-year session at a Legislative Breakfast Reception on Thursday, February 8, 2007. At the breakfast, we distributed our legislative recommendations ("Putting Families First: Twenty-two Policy Recommendations to Strengthen Michigan Families") for this session to the legislators.

Michigan Family Forum supports public policy that will help create and preserve healthy families by strengthening marriage, promoting responsible fatherhood, protecting our children and honoring our elders. Our family policy recommendations this year include eliminating barriers to marriage, promoting marriage education, piloting parenting classes for incarcerated fathers, requiring divorce effects classes for divorcing parents, and encouraging adoption for infants born out-of-wedlock. Visit the Core Beliefs section of our website for more details about these recommendations.

At the reception we also handed out two new resource publications - "Michigan Adoption Resource Guide" and "Promoting Fatherhood in Michigan, 2nd Edition."

Protecting Marriage

Marriage and the Limits of Contracts: Public Costs for Private Choices
by Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse

This booklet contains an article by Dr. Morse from the April, 2005 issue of "Policy Review" from the Hoover Institution. Dr. Morse is a Ph.D. economist and is a research fellow at the Institution. She spent five years on the faculty at Yale University and served as a research associate at George Mason University from 1985-1996. Her publications have appeared widely in various journals as well as publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Fortune and Policy Review.

"Marriage and the Limits of Contracts" argues that our society can be safer, more stable, and enjoy more freedom if more children are born into a married home and are raised by a mother and father. She reasons that we can govern ourselves with a smaller, less intrusive government if we are willing to support and encourage the "organic" understanding of marriage.

For more information about Dr. Morse and her writings, click here.

View a web copy of
"Marriage and the Limits of Contracts"

Protecting Children

Redefining Parenthood: Adult Rights Versus Children's Needs

This latest release by noted author and researcher Elizabeth Marquardt discusses society's rapid movement toward new and different forms of parenting. In many of these situations, the rights of adults conflict with the needs of children.

Click here to view the booklet

Michigan Adoption Resource Guide

This recent release is designed to provide information for adoptive families and birthmothers. The Resource Guide contains listings of adoption agencies by county and other information for couples considering adoption.

Click here to view the booklet

Sex Education: Rights and Responsibilities in Michigan Law

This booklet highlights family-friendly amendments to Michigan's laws on sex education. The newly passed revisions require school districts which teach sex education to form sex education advisory boards to review curriculum and make recommendations to the intermediate school district. A majority of the members must be parents, with a parent serving as co-chair. The revisions also require that abstinence be taught as a sure means of preventing pregnancy and disease, and that Michigan's laws regarding sexual activity be taught. A complaint process has been enacted to assist parents and penalize school districts if they do not comply with the law.

Click here to view booklet.

Email us to order a printed copy.

Click here to view other publications produced by Michigan Family Forum.

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