Fatherhood / Family

Collaborations, Fatherhood, and Family Initiatives – Texas

The Collaborations, Fatherhood, and Family Initiatives Section of the Attorney General’s office was created in 2002 to strengthen families and fathers’ involvement in the lives of their children. Several key programs seek to provide support for fathers and families:

• Texas Fragile Families Initiative: A statewide effort to help young low-income fathers become more involved in the upbringing of their children.
• Noncustodial Parent Referral Project: A collaboration with the Texas Workforce Commission, this project seeks to identify, refer, and provide employment services to low-income, noncustodial parents.
• Paternity Opportunity Program (POP): Involves over 2,600 employees at hospitals, registries, birthing centers, and community-based organizations. The program helps unmarried fathers acknowledge their child’s paternity near the time of birth.
• Fatherhood Participation Workgroup: Focuses on fathers’ access to services, outreach to them, and development of policy recommendations for targeted groups such as incarcerated parents.

 

Collaborations with Minority Fatherhood Groups – Wash.

Working with minority fatherhood groups such as Divine Alternative for Dads Services (D.A.D.S.) and Devoted Dads (community-based organizations) is effective for this office.

 

Father Child Connection for Young, Poor Fathers – San Antonio, Texas

Over 15 community agencies and organizations (such as the Goodwill Job Help Centers, the Alamo Area Workforce Development Board, Inman Christian Center, etc.) have joined forces to provide free services, ranging from education to health care to job assistance. Referrals focus on eligible young “dead broke” fathers, and a statewide referral network is in place.

 

Fatherhood Collaborative – San Mateo, Calif.

Operated by a community organization in San Mateo County and linked with the child support office, the Fatherhood Collaborative seeks to promote the well-being of children and strengthening of families. It provides support groups for fathers and training addressing fathers’ concerns.

 

Family Counseling Service – Ill.

There is close cooperation with the child support office, the Marriage and Family Counseling Service, and the Circuit Court of Cook County; all believe that if parents agree, and the father is involved in the child’s life, child support payments are more likely to occur. Individuals who go through the service participate in a parenting program called “Focus on Children” (also in Spanish), which includes award-winning classes tailored to different groups, including never-married parents.

 

Parental Employment Pilot Project (PEPP) – N.D.

Goal: Promote parental responsibility by addressing unemployment and underemployment of noncustodial parents.

Description: The court and the child support program refer unemployed/underemployed obligors to the Job Service of North Dakota, where the case manager assesses each for job readiness and identifies impediments to employment. The assessment will determine whether referrals will be made to employers and/or to the Badlands Human Services Center for appropriate assessment and treatment in alcohol, drug, mental health, or vocational rehabilitation.

Organizations Involved:

• Job Service of North Dakota (JSND) and the District Court.
• Department of Human Services’ Badlands Human Service Center and its TANF and child support divisions.

WIC Paternity Establishment Pilot Program – Ill.

Close cooperation with WIC was demonstrated, including bilingual brochures and posters outlining how child support services can help, with the message “Putting children first.”