During this time of the year, we often catch the love bug.

People believe that love is in the air. On Feb. 14 countless people show love by purchasing several gifts for their loved ones. Lots of these purchases consist of stuffed animals, jewelry, flowers, balloons and chocolates.

On this day many show that they love their mates by making these purchases. We at Families First feel that although Feb. 14 has been set aside as the day for love, love should be shown year around.

This is the purpose for the Healthy Marriage Course being offered by Adams County Families First Resource Center at the main office located in the Juvenile Justice Center, 320 State St., Natchez. Adams County Families First is grant funded by the Mississippi Department of Human Services. By participating in this course couples learn communication techniques, how to synergize marriages and how to develop a lasting commitment.

Research suggests that children who grow up in happily married, two-parent families do better on a number of outcomes than those who do not.

Further, many social problems affecting children, families and communities could be prevented if more children grew up in healthy, married families.

The collapse of marriage is perhaps the leading cause of poverty in the United States. The statistics show that a child raised by a never-married mother is seven times more likely to live in poverty than a child raised by his biological parents in an intact and healthy marriage.

Overall, 80 percent of long-term poverty in the United States is found among children from broken homes or never-formed families.

Marriage is an important social good, associated with an impressively broad array of positive outcomes for children and adults.

Marriage failures can be caused by numerous factors. The first of these may be financial. The second may be a lack of communication. The third factor may be lack of physical attentiveness.

Couples must learn different techniques to get that old flame back. Perhaps going on a date every now and then will do the trick. Drop the daily routine and establish a new agenda. These are some of the ways to instill health in your marriage.

Marriages don’t grow on their own. Marital problems don’t get fixed by hoping things will change or repeating what isn’t working.

Adams County Families First is here to give you some of the tools for a healthy and successful marriage that will have a lasting effect on your relationship.

The Adams County Families First can facilitate discussion groups and offer lectures on subjects pertinent to successful families besides the Healthy Marriage Course. The course consists of three consecutive sessions lasting for two hours per session.

All of these programs and curriculums are available in Franklin, Jefferson and Wilkinson counties.

If you have any questions, please contact us at 601-304-7883.

Angela D. IVORY works for Families First.