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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2005
Contact: Jane Norris
(202) 401-9215
Administration for Children and Families
Awards $1.1 Million for Ten
Child Support Projects
WASHINGTON, D.C. --- The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced $1.1 million in federal funding for ten demonstration projects to advance the performance of the nation’s child support enforcement system.
“These projects will help improve child support enforcement in ten states,” said Wade F. Horn, HHS’ assistant secretary for children and families. “The grants are designed to help families achieve self-sufficiency and promote stability for children, mothers and fathers.”
Included in the $1.1 million are the following:
Six three-year projects designed to reduce intervention and formal proceedings in child support collection and to increase financial security for children born out of wedlock:
$82,853 for three judicial districts in the state of Tennessee. These projects will provide treatment services to never-married parents through a parenting specialist and facilitators in the child support agency and cour
$108,112 for the state of Texas to test the impact of family stabilization services to unmarried, expectant and newly delivering mothers, and to fathers in conjunction with regular prenatal and postpartum clinic visits.
$108,400 for the state of Wisconsin, to test legal services for noncustodial parents early in the child support process in Milwaukee County. The goal of this project is to increase regular collections and improve the interactions that noncustodial parents have with their children and the custodial parent.
$108,400 for state of Washington to test the provision of strengthened voluntary paternity services and new accompanying services -- including genetic testing, marriage education and dispute resolution services -- in hospitals. The goals of this project are to increase paternity establishment and reduce adversarial actions to have child support paid.
$108,400 for the state of Hawaii to educate unwed parents on parental responsibility. This project works through Hawaii’s welfare agency and secures voluntary acknowledgements of paternity and promotes healthy marriage for better outcomes for children.
$105,562 to the state of Maryland to train low-income parents in parenting and couples skills to preserve two-parent families. This project involves Maryland’s social services and child support agencies and the Center for Families, Fathers, and Workforce Development.
Three 17-month projects designed to strengthen collaboration between child support agencies:
$120,000 for Arizona’s Division of Child Support to participate in a new collaboration with the court, attorney general and Administration of Courts to develop and implement a web-based automated arrears calculation tool. This project will allow the state agency, the courts and customers to better manage child support arrears.
$118,608 for the state of Vermont to create a fully integrated medical support initiative among its child support, welfare and Medicaid agencies.
$120,000 for the state of Utah to automate record exchanges between its vital records and child support agencies. This project will help the two state agencies increase collaboration to better educate the public on the need to establish paternity.
In addition, one award of $114,741 was given to the state of Colorado for child support agencies in Denver, Pueblo and Mesa to develop a comprehensive system of early intervention.
The grants are awarded under the authority of Section 1115 of the Social Security Act and are designed to improve the financial well-being of children or improve the operation of the child support enforcement program. Section 1115 authorizes states to conduct demonstration projects aimed at promoting the objectives of the Social Security Act.
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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at www.hhs.gov/news