In 2012, 25% of families with children (under age 18) were
maintained by mothers. According to some estimates, about 60% of
children born during the 1990s spent a significant portion of their
childhood in a home without their father. Research indicates that
children raised in single-parent families are more likely than
children raised in two-parent families (with both biological
parents) to do poorly in school, have emotional and behavioral
problems, become teenage parents, and have poverty-level incomes.
In hopes of improving the long-term outlook for children in single
parent families, federal, state, and local governments, along with
public and private organizations, are supporting programs and
activities that promote the financial and personal responsibility
of noncustodial fathers to their children and increase the
participation of fathers in the lives of their children. These
programs have come to be known as "responsible fatherhood"
programs. Sources of federal funding for fatherhood programs
include the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program,
TANF state Maintenance-of-Effort (MOE) funding, Child Support
Enforcement (CSE) funds, and Social Services Block Grant (Title XX)
funds. In the 106th, 107th, and 108th Congresses, bills containing
specific funding for responsible fatherhood initiatives were
debated. President George W. Bush, a supporter of responsible
fatherhood programs, included funding for such programs in each of
his budgets. In the 109th Congress, P.L. 109-171 (the Deficit
Reduction Act of 2005) was enacted. It included a provision that
provided up to $50 million per year (FY2006-FY2010) in competitive
grants to states, territories, Indian tribes and tribal
organizations, and public and nonprofit community groups (including
religious organizations) for responsible fatherhood initiatives.
The Obama Administration's FY2011 budget included a proposal to
substantially increase funding for responsible fatherhood programs
under a proposed new Fatherhood, Marriage, and Families Innovation
Fund. Under the proposal, the new fund would have received $500
million for FY2011 (this proposal was not passed by either the
House or the Senate). Instead, P.L. 111-291 (enacted December 8,
2010) extended funding for the Title IV-A Healthy Marriage and
Responsible Fatherhood grants for an additional year (i.e., through
FY2011). For FY2011, it appropriated $75 million for awarding funds
for healthy marriage promotion activities and $75 million for
awarding funds for activities promoting responsible fatherhood.
Pursuant to P.L. 112- 78 (enacted December 23, 2011), the Healthy
Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood grant programs were extended at
their FY2011 funding level (on a pro rata basis) through February
29, 2012. Pursuant to P.L. 112-96 (enacted February 22, 2012), the
Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood grant programs were
extended (at their FY2011 funding level) through the end of FY2012
(on a pro rata basis). P.L. 112-175 (the government-wide continuing
resolution enacted on September 28, 2012) extended funding (on a
pro rata basis) for the Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood
grant programs through March 2013 (the first six months of FY2013).
Most fatherhood programs include media campaigns that emphasize the
importance of emotional, physical, psychological, and financial
connections of fathers to their children. Most fatherhood programs
include parenting education; responsible decision-making; mediation
services for both parents; providing an understanding of the CSE
program; conflict resolution, coping with stress, and
problem-solving skills; peer support; and job-training
opportunities (skills development, interviewing skills, job search,
job-retention skills, job-advancement skills, etc.). This
publication briefly examines the role of the CSE agency in
fatherhood programs and discusses initiatives to promote and
support father-child interaction outside the parents' relationship.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
