In my full-time job as a school counselor, I work with middle schoolers. I teach in the classroom, conduct small groups and even see them individually to help them in their personal, social and academic lives. Hearing their stories gives me a glimpse into what is happening in our community of Portland, Tennessee. There's a lot of good, but family fragmentation (divorce) is rampant. So much pain results from a girl whose dad does not show an interest in seeing her and from a boy who has no positive adults in his life outside of school. We can't ignore this issue.

Broken homes are all too common in our world today, particularly in Sumner County with our above-the-national-average divorce rate. In 2008, there was one divorce for every 1.3 marriages, and it's getting worse. In 2009, there was one divorce for every 1.15 marriages; moving ever closer to our community netting zero marriages in a calendar year. Most people have no idea of what this is doing to our community, our children and our future, but Project Family does, and we want to do something about it.

Divorce is a financial issue since it turns a two-income family into two one-income families, who quite possibly need social assistance. This is known as the fallout of divorce and very rarely is a correlation mentioned between divorce and tax revenue, but there is one. Sumner County accounted for three percent of Tennessee's divorces in 2008, costing Sumner County taxpayers $22,710,000. There's a cost to businesses as well. For an average employee making $20/hr, the projected cost of that employee divorcing is over $8,000 with time off work and lost productivity while on the job. Divorce takes its toll on a person and a business.

Divorce is killing our children. According to a 2003 article found in the 'Journal of Divorce & Remarriage,' students from intact families maintained grade point averages 11 percent higher than those of peers from divorced families. Teen pregnancy rises among girls in fragmented homes, and they are more likely to be single moms themselves. Teens with divorced parents are 50 percent likelier to drink. Want to rise to the top, curb teen pregnancy, drug use and alcohol use? Invest in marriages and the home. Simply teaching our fifth-graders to be nice to one another will not get it done.

There is good news for taxpayers and businesses. A study done by the Marriage CoMission in 2006 has proven that when companies invest in the physical and relational wellness of their workers, returns on investment can range between $1.50 and $6.85 for every dollar spent on these types of programs. Also, Texas has allotted $15 million over two years on programs to increase stable marriage rates. If this program succeeds by just three-tenths of one percent, it will be cost effective in its returns to Texas taxpayers. It doesn't matter if you're Republican, Democrat, Baptist or Catholic; this is uplifting.

Good news for couples and their children as well. Through the findings of a major national study, happily married couples had greater skills in areas of communication, flexibility, closeness, personality compatibility and conflict resolution. An important aspect of these five areas is that they can be improved through increased education and skills acquisition. Project Family wants to make this happen.

Project Family, Inc. believes that something can be done. First Things First of Chattanooga (FTF) began in 1997, when 33 percent of Hamilton County's population had been divorced. The national average was 22 percent. As of the 2010 FTF Report Card, divorce filings are down 33 percent.

Project Family hopes to provide classes, printed materials and special events that are geared toward saving marriages and increasing father involvement in the lives of their children to help strengthen families. Whether you're a church, an individual, or a business, we hope that you'll join our efforts.

Visit dalesadler.net/projectfamily or our Facebook page to find out more. You can also call Dale Sadler (Executive Director of Project Family) at 615.513.3642 if you're doing something now or would like to do something to positively affect the family in Sumner County. Please, join us.

By DALE SADLER

Listen to Dale's live radio show Sundays at 4:30 p.m. (CST) at wqkr.com, 95.9FM or 1270AM. Dale discusses pertinent family issues with political activists, motivational speakers and fellow therapists. Visit www.dalesadler.net for more information on Dale's work with families and the non-profit, Project Family.