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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Contact: ACF Press Office
(202) 401-9215
Child Support Demonstrations Approved in Three More States
Funds
help children, support healthy marriage and parental relationships
HHS’ Assistant Secretary for Children and Families Dr. Wade F. Horn today announced $2,958,184 in federal funding to support demonstration projects in Georgia, Kentucky and Texas to promote improvements in child support enforcement efforts.
“These projects 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 nine child support enforcement projects aimed at developing and testing new strategies in communities across the nation to support 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.
Kentucky will receive $1 million in federal funding. Texas will receive $998,184 and Georgia will be awarded $960,000. 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 last between two and five years and will be supplemented by private funding. The grants represent additional funding to the states and will not affect the amount of federal funds available to administer child support programs.
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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at www.hhs.gov/news