This report is based on research conducted for the Parents' Fair Share Demonstration, a national demonstration project that combined job training and placement, peer support groups, and other services with the goal of increasing the earnings and child support payments of unemployed noncustodial parents (usually fathers) of children on welfare, improving their parenting and communication skills, and providing an opportunity for them to participate more fully and effectively in the lives of their children. (Author abstract).
This report is based on research conducted for the Parents' Fair Share Demonstration, a national demonstration project that combined job training and placement, peer support groups, and other services with the goal of increasing the earnings and child support payments of unemployed noncustodial parents (usually fathers) of children on welfare, improving their parenting and communication skills, and providing an opportunity for them to participate more fully and effectively in the lives of their children. (Author abstract).
Most low-income dads are connected with their children at birth. Contrary to what some may believe, they do want to provide support for their children, although they do not know how to step into the role of financial and emotional provider. Often, these fathers share many of the same characteristics as welfare recipients--poor work history, low levels of literacy, sporadic employment or unemployment. Additionally, many low-income dads have grown up without their own fathers, so they lack true examples of what it means to be a father. There is growing recognition that low-income fathers are in…
Data and sources of information on the effects of father absence on poverty, maternal and child health, incarceration, crime, teen pregnancy, child abuse, drug and alcohol abuse, education, and childhood obesity.
Researchers, community organizations and government agencies, including Child Support Enforcement agencies, are seeking effective strategies to make reentry of offenders successful while balancing the needs of communities for safety. This background report presents a synopsis of key reentry research that relates to offenders and ex-offenders with family responsibilities and highlights the findings that apply to those with child support involvement. Reviewing the primary issues and services, the report draws from many sources, such as Bureau of Justice Statistics reports and prisoner reentry…
This report examines the findings of ten demonstration projects funded by OCSE in nine states and jurisdictions (California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Texas, Washington and Washington, DC) that addressed issues related to incarceration and child support. The projects, conducted over a six-year period, were funded by OCSE through a number of grant cycles. They were selected to examine various issues and objectives of interest to OCSE, and do not represent a single "incarceration initiative." Some projects focused on the process of working with incarcerated parents…
Employment rates for single mothers with dependent children have been rising, partly because of welfare reform and expansions in the Earned Income Tax Credit. This paper examines this trend and implications for future retirement security. The results show that employment and earnings gains for single mothers during the late 1990s will translate into modestly higher Social Security benefits and better retirement outcomes when they reach later life, assuming these trends persist. However, most single mothers will fare worse in retirement than other women, primarily because they generally earned…
This second Common Ground report grew out of a series of meetings that explored the economic issues around child support in greater depth: policies that would give more child support payments to children, rather than use them to reimburse public assistance and Medicaid costs; set child support awards in a fair and realistic way; modify awards to reflect changing circumstances; manage arrears; and increase family income. The diverse and public policy advocates, practitioners, and re-searchers who participated in the meetings are listed in the Appendix. (Author abstract).
This background briefing report prepared for the the first Family Impact Seminar provides an introduction to the fatherhood movement and describes innovative programs that are being used to promote responsible parenting by fathers. Responsibility is defined as avoiding pregnancy in nonmarried couples and supporting children emotionally and financially. Examples of effective sex education programs, community awareness campaigns, child support enforcement, employment and training programs, and family support services are highlighted. Lessons learned from father involvement initiatives are…
This study was designed to explore possible differences between adoptive and biological fathers in terms of how much they enjoyed being involved in child care and child rearing activities with their young children. Anonymous questionnaires were returned by 85 adoptive and 98 biological first-time fathers with one child age three or younger. The results indicated that adoptive fathers derived greater enjoyment from their involvement in their children's lives than did biological fathers. Interestingly, the two most significant items were enjoy caring for a dependent human being and enjoy…
