NYS Fatherhood Initiative → Programs & Services
Programs & Services
- Background
- Strengthening Families through Stronger Fathers Initiative
- Pilot Projects
- Noncustodial Parent New York State Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
Background
Under welfare reform, welfare rolls declined dramatically, work rates of single mothers increased, and the poverty rate of children living with single mothers fell to its lowest level since the 1970's. The key to this success was a combination of strict work requirements and generous supports for working mothers, including major increases in the Federal and State EITC. Yet, despite the unprecedented decline, the poverty rate for children living with single mothers remains too high.
Healthy two-parent families are better able to provide for their children both financially and emotionally. Evidence suggests that children who are raised by both biological parents experience greater emotional and financial security. Yet, nearly 15% of New York State (NYS) children live in a single parent home without a father present and the number of births to unmarried women continues to increase.
Strengthening Families through Stronger Fathers Initiative
The New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) is the State agency that oversees employment, welfare and child support policy. Employment and welfare programs generally focus on assisting families with children to become self-sufficient. Child Support policies generally focus on ensuring that non-custodial parents assist financially to support their children. The NYS Strengthening Families through Stronger Fathers initiative bridges the gap between these employment programs, welfare programs and child support policies through a newly created, first in the nation, Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for non-custodial parents and the establishment of five separate pilot programs aimed at promoting responsible fatherhood. The Strengthening Families through Stronger Fathers initiative now places New York State OTDA as the lead agency in New York on responsible fatherhood initiatives.
The five pilot projects will work with non-custodial parents providing guidance and training on healthy marriage activities, responsible parenting and enhancing economic stability. Using a multi-faceted approach, the initiative will create incentives for non-custodial parents to remain in or consider marriage, increase their earnings, overcome legal barriers, seek appropriate treatment or counseling, overcome employment barriers, pay child support, and become actively involved in their children's lives. This initiative will provide: marriage education and counseling activities; parent education services; and employment, training, and placement services to low-income fathers, as well as an enhanced EITC for the non-custodial fathers who are current in their child support. It is expected that by using this multi-faceted approach that NYS can help low-income non-custodial fathers overcome obstacles and barriers that prevent them from being effective and nurturing parents.
In addition to the non-custodial EITC and the five pilot programs, OTDA is supportive of a variety of outside fatherhood initiatives and community organizations that have programs and activities aimed at providing fathers with leadership and guidance to help them become better parents. This support extends to the four Healthy Marriages initiatives and seven Responsible Fatherhood initiatives that were awarded grants through the US Department of Health and Human Services http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofa/grantees/list10-06.htm. This overarching support is meant to encourage these organizations and programs to work together in this great undertaking rather than to depend simply on themselves. Organizations that support fatherhood initiatives are encouraged to contact this Office to obtain more information on how to increase their involvement.
Pilot Projects
Dads Embracing Fatherhood (DEF)
STRIVE/East Harlem Employment Service, Inc.
240 East 123 Street
New York, New York 10035
Sue-Ann Foster, Program Coordinator
212-360-1100 / SFoster@StriveInternational.org
- Series of ten-week workshops, offered five times a year. Meeting once a week in the evening
- Provide employment services
- Sessions of training on employment, fatherhood, parenting skills and healthy relationships
Strengthening Fathers Initiative
Chautauqua County Department of Social Services
Hall R. Clothier Building
7 North Erie St.
Mayville, NY 14757-1027
Don Nadeau, Project Coordinator
716-753-4576 / NadeauD@co.chautauqua.ny.us
Dedicated, Accountable, Dependable and Self-Sufficient (DADS) Program
Erie County Department of Social Services
95 Franklin Street
Buffalo, New York 14202
Frank DeCarlo
716-858-1053 / DecarloF@erie.gov
- Provides employment services and case management
- Courses will include GED programs, apprenticeship programs, parenting skills and employment programs
Parent Support Pilot (PSP)
Seedco
915 Broadway, 17th Floor
New York, New York 10010
Francine Delgado
(212) 204-1335 / fdelgado@seedco.org
- Provide employment services and case management
The Parent Success Initiative
OCM BOCES
4500 Crown Road
Liverpool, New York 13090
Mike Irwin, Project Coordinator
315-453-4421 / MIrwin@ocmboces.org
- Provide employment services, legal services and case management
- Specific targeted services aimed at employment, increasing child support and promoting healthy marriages
Noncustodial Parent New York State Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
This new EITC is just one of a number of initiatives OTDA will provide to address the needs of young, low-income working fathers in a attempt to help them become more involved in the economic and social well-being of their children. This new initiative is the next critical step in welfare reform - which has been a tremendous success. Today there are one million fewer people on welfare than there were 10 years ago.
The combined federal and state EITC - which can be as much as $3,708 for a single parent with one child and $6,130 to two or more children - has proved to be one of the nation's most effective tools at increasing labor force participation of low skilled workers, as well as an efficient means of supplementing the low wages paid to such workers.
The new EITC will reward those fathers already working to augment their wages. It will provide a substantial work incentive for those not working or working only intermittently. Most important, it will encourage greater involvement by fathers who may have avoided contact with their children due to their limited resources.
To be qualified you must:
- be a New York Resident Taxpayer
- be 18 years of age or older
- be a noncustodial parent and have Child(ren) that does not reside with you
- have a child support order through New York Child Support Unit (SCU) for at least one-half year; and
- have paid equal (100%) of the current amount of child support due for given tax year.
Value is equal to the greater of 2.5 times the federal EITC for singles or 20% of the federal EITC allowed for custodial parents with one child on a sliding scale to those with incomes up to approximately $32,000.
| Earnings | Estimated EITC |
| $3,000 | $578 |
| $6,000 | $1,030 |
| $9,000 | $549 |
| $12,000 | $549 |
| $15,000 | $543 |
| $18,000 | $447 |
| $21,000 | $351 |
| $24,000 | $225 |
| $27,000 | $159 |
| $30,000 | $63 |
NYS Tax Form IT-209
The form and instructions are available on the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance website.