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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Contact: ACF Press Office
(202) 401-9215
HHS Awards Washington $1,990,000 for
Two Child Support Demonstrations
Funds help children, support healthy marriage and parental relationships
HHS’ Assistant Secretary for Children and Families Dr. Wade F. Horn today announced $1,990,000 in federal funding for two demonstration projects in the state of Washington to promote improvements in child support enforcement efforts. The awards include $990,000 for a project in the city of Yakima and $1 million for a project in Lakewood.
“These projects in the state of Washington will help improve the well-being of children, promote paternity establishment and help parents provide increased financial and emotional support for their children,” Dr. Horn said. “With today’s announcement, we now have twelve child support enforcement projects aimed at developing and testing new strategies in communities across the nation to support the goals of child support enforcement through services that help couples form and sustain healthy marriages and parental relationships.”
The grants are awarded under the authority of Section 1115 of the Social Security Act and require that each project be designed to improve the financial well-being of children or otherwise improve the operation of the child support enforcement program. Section 1115 authorizes states to conduct experimental, pilot or demonstration projects likely to assist in promoting the objectives of the Social Security Act.
The goals of the demonstration projects include improving the establishment of paternity and increasing financial support for children as well as improving fathers’ relationships with both their children and the mothers of their children. The projects also include efforts to improve couple relationships and reduce the potential for domestic violence. The projects are required to screen participants for domestic violence and refer appropriate individuals for services.
HHS’ Administration for Children and Families will conduct a comprehensive evaluation to assess how the projects were implemented and their effects on families, children and the child support program.
The projects will each last five years and will be supplemented by private funding. The grants represent additional funding to the state and will not affect the amount of federal funds available to administer the child support program.
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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at www.hhs.gov/news