Home & Family
Utah is known for its strong focus on families, yet more must be done to ensure that women and girls can truly thrive in every setting. Key factors influencing family well‑being include healthy and balanced relationships, the distribution of unpaid domestic labor and care work, emotional labor, and effective communication. Although many Utah families strive for balance, perception gaps persist: 61% of women (vs. 73% of men) say housework is shared equitably, and 59.5% of women (vs. 73.2% of men) say the same about caregiving. When girls and women thrive in home and family, so do boys and men. Equipping individuals and families with the knowledge and skills to build healthy relationships and equitable partnerships strengthens homes and communities. By intentionally addressing the unique needs and challenges faced by women and girls, Utah can foster environments where every family member has the opportunity to thrive.
A Bolder Way Forward’s Home & Family Spoke is working with partners statewide to ensure women, girls, and all Utahns can make tangible progress towards fostering healthy relationships and balanced partnerships. Learn more about how you can strengthen relationships in your home and beyond by visiting the resources below. Individuals, organizations, and communities can also take specific actions to help. To get engaged, email the UWLP Community Connector (Amy Anderson).
Key Resources
Informational Video
Resource Kit
Research Snapshot
What Utahns Need to Know
Spoke Podcast
Bold Goals
Through collective impact and systems thinking, Utah can improve things by working towards the following goals:
- Strengthen Utah families by promoting research-based resources that cultivate healthy relationships in the home. [Metric Forthcoming]
- Increase awareness of the value of equal partnerships (e.g. domestic labor, caregiving, emotional work) in the home. [Metric Forthcoming]
- Fostering collaborative research on the status and needs of Utah families. [Metric Forthcoming]
- Shift Utahns’ agreement (understanding and perceptions) in the following areas: [Metric Dashboard]
- Access to childcare is an issue that families face in Utah.
- Childcare providers are professionals.
- Childcare and Pre-K programs play an important role in early childhood education.
- Government has a role in addressing childcare in Utah.
Catherine Hutton (VP Contract Administration, Kepco+)
Christy Kane (CEO, Drchristykane.com)
Stacy Goulding (Health Educator, StacyLyn Coaching)
Michelle Linford (Digital & Civic Wellness, Centralign Consulting)
Emily Prisbrey (Co-Founder, Utah Single Mothers Coalition)
What You Can Do
Encourage your local school administrators and staff to offer healthy relationship workshops for high school students. See the resource kit for ideas.
Community Partners
The Utah Marriage Commission focuses on strengthening marriages and families. It promotes marriage education, relationship skills, and family well-being through podcast series, webinar series, e-Courses, and other resources.
The Utah Office of Families prioritizes policies to strengthen families and improve outcomes for children. Through proactive education and community connection, they promote the wellbeing of all families in Utah.
Healthy Relationships Utah offers free research-based relationship education courses online and throughout the state as part of USU Extension. Topics include dating, marriage, parenting, stepfamilies, positive well-being, and more.
FSCU operates 18 centers across Utah focused on supporting parents, protecting children, and preserving families. Each provides 24-hour crisis & respite nursery, a 24-hour information and referral service, and a parenting and youth education program.
Utah Advocacy Coalition strengthens families and care systems through a connected cycle of support. They mobilize Utah organizations to build better care systems and policies by elevating advocacy, empowering families, and expanding giving circles.
A non-profit run by volunteers, Momivate believes that mothers have a unique opportunity to shape society through their children. Their programming and partnerships focus on activating mothers across the state and elevating the respect given to motherhood.
The Utah Single Mothers Coalition is an online group for anyone who has been a single mother along their life journey and/or is interested in advocacy for single mothers. They provide resources, support, legislative efforts and community.
The Divorce Co-Op offers community and mentoring to Utah women struggling with emotional and financial dependence. Coaching resources include mediation prep, conflict communication, career building, healthy parenting, healing, and transitions.
This coalition provides education and training for healthy relationships, fatherhood, and employment to youth and adults. Programs include building uplifting relationships, jobs work, nurturing fathers, pathways to manhood, and train the trainer.