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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Contact: ACF Press Office
(202) 401-9215
HHS Awards Florida $1 Million for Child Support Demonstration
Funds help children, support healthy marriage and parental relationships
HHS’ Assistant Secretary for Children and Families Dr. Wade F. Horn today announced $1,000,000 in federal funding for a demonstration project in Florida to promote improvements in child support enforcement efforts.
“This project in Florida 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 ten projects aimed at helping us determine how support for healthy marriages and parental relationships can help improve the effectiveness of the child support enforcement program.”
The grant is awarded under the authority of Section 1115 of the Social Security Act and requires that the 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 project 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 project also includes efforts to improve couple relationships and reduce the potential for domestic violence. The project is 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 project was implemented and its effects on families, children and the child support program.
The project will last three years and will be supplemented by private funding. The grant represents 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