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OTDA Issues Request for Proposals for the Strengthening Families Through Stronger Fathers Program
The New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Strengthening Families Through Stronger Fathers program. It has been more than 10 years since the implementation of welfare reform, and its success in decreasing the reliance of single mothers on cash benefits by getting them to work is well documented. However many of these mothers remain poor and are not getting help from the fathers of their children. The child support system has been extremely effective at finding fathers and collecting the money they owe, but many fathers are in poverty themselves, and have nothing to give. These fathers typically accumulate arrears that become so burdensome that they become a barrier to employment, as well as to engagement with their children, and we know that children who grow up with disengaged fathers are, statistically, far less likely to accomplish the goals that lead them out of poverty and into stable, productive lives.
In an effort to help unemployed and underemployed noncustodial parents increase their financial and emotional involvement with their children, OTDA is seeking programs to provide case management and employment services coupled with other supportive services. A total of $2,764,000 in federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds is available to support selected Strengthening Families Through Stronger Fathers projects for a one-year period. By identifying and addressing the needs of noncustodial fathers, such as employment, job readiness, job placement, arrears management, community reintegration services and parenting education, we can begin to equip fathers to overcome the barriers that prevent them from being involved in the lives of their children. View RFP
Fatherhood Pilot Programs: White Paper Outlines Lessons from the First Year of Evaluation
In 2006, New York became the first state in the country to enact legislation that consists of two innovative policies that are designed to help low-income noncustodial parents (mostly fathers) find work and pay the full amount of their current child support, which is called the Strengthening Families Through Stronger Fathers Initiative. This report describes this initiative and gives detailed information about the five pilot sites that are providing employment services to low-income noncustodial parents in the following locations: Buffalo, Jamestown, New York City and Syracuse. Continue reading Fatherhood Pilot Programs: White Paper Outlines Lessons from the First Year of Evaluation...
New York State Fatherhood Initiative Releasing DVD to Explore Perceptions of Fathers in the Media
In an effort to provide a tool to stimulate conversation about fatherhood, the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA)/Fatherhood Initiative is releasing a DVD titled Perceptions of Fathers in the Media: In Search of the Ideal Father, as well as a training curriculum, to assist service providers in facilitating conversation to deconstruct the images built around media fathers and creating a more reality-based image of fathers in American society.
The New York State Fatherhood Initiative supports the development of collaborative strategies between social services districts and community organizations to assist noncustodial parents in meeting the financial and emotional needs of their children.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 28% of children lived without their father in 2006. Considering the alarming number of father-absent homes in the U.S. prompted OTDA to fund a study to assess the impact media fathers have in constructing children’s perceptions of fatherhood. The study showed that sitcom fathers demonstrate greater guidance, general support and acceptance than do real fathers, indicating the need to provide a forum to explore the complex view of real family life and move away from the often unrealistic portrayal found in the media.