A non-resident (or non-custodial) father is a parent who does not live in the same household as his child; he may be divorced or separated or may have never married the child's mother, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, Promoting Responsible Fatherhood . While state efforts in the location, identification, and engagement of non-residential fathers in child welfare programs differ, many states are looking at the requirement of locating non-resident fathers in a set timeframe and defining "due diligence" efforts. While many states may have legislation in place around the…
Mandated by the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997, this annual report analyzes the performance of state child welfare agencies on seven child welfare outcomes including the recurrence of child abuse and neglect, permanency planning, placement stability, and the safety of children in foster care. See a list of all Child Welfare Outcomes Reports. Data were obtained from state reports provided to the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting Systems (AFCARS) and the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data… Hart Research Associates conducted a national public opinion poll of 1,615 parents of children age birth to three years for ZERO TO THREE in June, 2009. Based on United States Census data, the sample is representative of parents of children ages birth to three years old, as it pertains to basic demographic characteristics such as race, ethnicity, age, and educational attainment. The survey was designed to explore issues and challenges that parents of young children confront today, where gaps in knowledge of early development exist, identify what sources of information and support these…
Both wages and labor force participation have been declining for young, less-educated men since the mid-1970s. The purpose of this article is to examine how key income-security policy areas--including unemployment insurance, payroll taxes and the Earned Income Tax Credit, and child support enforcement--affect these men. The article concludes with policy recommendations to improve the impact of work-based subsidies on poverty among low-income men. Subsidized jobs in transitional job programs could play a critical role in helping these men access these subsidies. (Author abstract)
As described in earlier articles, children whose parents have higher income and education levels are more likely to grow up in stable two-parent households than their economically disadvantaged counterparts. These widening gaps in fathers' involvement in parenting and in the quality and stability of parents' relationships may reinforce disparities in outcomes for the next generation. This paper reviews evidence about the effectiveness of two strategies to strengthen fathers' involvement and family relationships-- fatherhood programs aimed at disadvantaged noncustodial fathers and relationship…
Over time, public policy changes have strengthened the private child support system while reducing access to public support--welfare. Especially given the very limited availability of public support, nonresident fathers' economic contributions through child support can play an important role in helping children avoid poverty. In this paper we review evidence on nonresident fathers' ability to pay support, provide an overview of the way child support policies affect disadvantaged fathers, and propose new directions for child support policy. We argue that the current work-focused safety net,…
This chapter addresses the reentry challenges faced by low-skilled men released from U.S. prisons. I empirically characterize the increases in incarceration occurring since 1970 and assess the degree to which these changes result from changes in policy as opposed to changes in criminal behavior. I discuss what is known about the children of inmates and the likelihood that a child in the United States has an incarcerated parent. The chapter then addresses the employment barriers faced by former prison inmates with a particular emphasis on how employers view criminal history records in…
This position paper from the Fathers and Families Coalition of America (FFCA) recommends the proposed Fatherhood, Marriage, and Family Innovation (FMFI) funding be managed by a new office in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services called the Office of Fatherhood-Family Strengthening Assistance that would report directly to the Assistant Secretary. Additional recommendations are made, including: that the funding not go to State agencies but rather be available to community, non-profit and faith-based entities in open competitive grants; the services provided should be limited to those…
This report is a technical supplement to the 15-month impact report for the Building Strong Families (BSF) evaluation, a study that explored the effectiveness of providing services to improve the relationships of unmarried parents. It provides additional detail about the research design, analytic methods, and variable construction that were used for the 15-month analysis. Chapter 1 begins with an overview of the research design. It then describes BSF sample intake procedures, including eligibility determination and the random assignment process. The eight local BSF programs enrolled couples…
Young adults are typically eager to learn about relationships and how to succeed in them. Some are considering engagement/marriage whereas others are looking for guidance on how to make smart choices when it comes to dating partners. With a rate of 3.5 divorces per 1,000 people, many young adults have experienced the break up of their parents and are fearful of that same fate. College students are desperate to have only one, happy marriage, and they don't know whether this is possible anymore.The college years bring the need to negotiate new life roles and relationships. These years in…
