“How TANF Can Support Positive Parenting Relationships and Foster Father Involvement”
Approximately 1 in 4 children live with only one of their parents. This percentage is even higher for low-income children -- 12.8 million of whom live with only one parent. Many of these children are being raised by people who are trying, or tried, to parent together while living apart, but face family and legal challenges posed by divorce or debates on custody, visitation and child support.
The report, produced by the Center for American Progress (CAP), finds that states and localities vary on the resources they provide to help these low-income families effectively parent while living apart. These services include mediation, parent education and counseling that help couples reach agreements about visitation arrangements or parenting plans. The federal government launched the Access and Visitation program to fill in the holes more than 10 years ago.
But, according to CAP, the Access and Visitation program received only paltry funding since its inception and remains largely undefined. The program, which is included within Temporary Assistance for Needy Family (TANF) legislation, will soon be reconsidered by Congress. Upon its reauthorization, CAP argues it can be improved by increasing its funding in efforts to expand services, dedicating funding to legal services providers who can offer advising and mediation, targeting “at-risk” families and increasing community-based institution involvement.
