In recent decades, policymakers have invested in responsible fatherhood programs in light of emerging research that strengthening parenting among fathers promotes positive child outcomes. This session will focus on how fatherhood programs and policies can better serve fathers, children, and their families. The panelists will discuss recent research on the changing dynamics of fatherhood in relationships and families, and opportunities for promoting father-child bonds among low-income men and boys of color. Ben O’Dell (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) will moderate this panel. Panelists are:

• Kathryn Edin (Johns Hopkins University)

• Timothy Nelson (Johns Hopkins University)

• David Pate (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) (conference program description)

This presentation was given at the 2014 Welfare Research and Evaluation Conference (WREC).

The Region VI State TANF Meeting: Building a Path to Family Stability, convened by the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance, took place on September 23 - 25, 2014 in Dallas, Texas. The meeting brought together TANF program directors, stakeholders, and State administrators to learn strategies, engage in dialogue, and build linkages with peers to improve program outcomes and promote economic and social well-being for individuals, children, and families. Specific topics covered during the meeting included: moving towards evidence-based practices; engaging non-custodial parents to improve child and family outcomes; improving effective programming for families facing homelessness; working with victims of family violence; and addressing the needs of rural TANF participants.

Insights from behavioral economics, which combines findings from psychology and economics, suggest that an improved understanding of human behavior and decision-making could inform program design and improve outcomes. OPRE’s Behavioral Interventions to Advance Self Sufficiency (BIAS) project designs and tests behaviorally-informed program innovations for ACF programs. This session will share early findings and lessons learned from BIAS’s work with child support agencies in Texas and Ohio. (conference program description)

• Behavioral Economics and Social Policy: Designing Innovative Solutions for Programs Supported by the Administration for Children and Families

Lashawn Richburg-Hayes (MDRC)

The presentation gives an overview of how behavioral concepts are being applied to social policy within the context of the Behavioral Interventions to Advance Self-Sufficiency (BIAS) Project.

• Using Behavioral Economics to Help Incarcerated Parents Apply for Child Support Order Modifications

Mary Farrell (MEF Associates)

Michael Hayes (Texas Office of the Attorney General)

The presentation describes the Texas pilot of the Behavioral Interventions to Advance Self-Sufficiency (BIAS) Project, a program designed to increase the number of incarcerated, non-custodial parents who apply for child support order modifications.

• Using Behavioral Economics to Increase Timely and Regular Child Support Payments

Peter Baird (MDRC)

Susan Brown (Franklin County Child Support Enforcement Agency

The presentation describes the Franklin County, Ohio pilot of the Behavioral Interventions to Advance Self-Sufficiency (BIAS) Project, an initiative to increase the total amounts of child support collected and the frequency of payments.

These presentations were given at the 2014 Welfare Research and Evaluation Conference (WREC).

The Administration for Children and Families' Office of Family Assistance (OFA) hosted the "Strategies to Assist Noncustodial Parents in Improving Economic Well-Being" webinar. This webinar showcased several programs making headway in this area. TANF programs and their safety-net partners increasingly understand the importance of engaging noncustodial parents while also holding them accountable for the economic and social growth of their children. Barriers such as unemployment, underemployment, or incarceration can hinder noncustodial parents from providing for their children even when many want to do so. The Webinar featured three programs.

1. North Dakota PRIDE is a partnership between North Dakota's Department of Human Services, Job Service North Dakota, the Child Support Enforcement Division, and eight judicial district courts throughout the state. The program refers parents with unpaid child support obligations to Job Service North Dakota for employment support.

2. Kansas Child Support Savings Initiative is a partnership between Kansas Child Support Services and the state Treasurer's Office to empower noncustodial parents to save money for their children's education. Noncustodial parents open 529 savings accounts for their children and for every dollar they put into the account, the State reduces their child support arrears by two dollars.

3. Couples Advancing Together is a program of the Center for Urban Families in Baltimore, Maryland that provides employment development, case management services, and healthy relationship skills training to couples with children who currently receive public benefits through the Maryland Department of Social Services. Completion of the Couples Advancing Together program qualifies participants for a 10% reduction in any child support arrears they owe to the State of Maryland, which is helpful to those who are noncustodial parents to children outside their primary family unit.

The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) released a report that outlines findings from a behavioral intervention that was designed to increase the number of incarcerated noncustodial parents in Texas who apply for child support order modifications. Researchers from the intervention redesigned the mailing materials to better entice the parents, and authors of the report indicated that the redesigned materials resulted in increased application outcomes. According to the authors, these results indicate the promise of incorporating behavioral economic principles to improve programs.

The Institute for Research on Poverty released a fact sheet that outlines the challenges faced by young dads in the United States. The fact sheet explores educational background, marriage rates, and overall rates related to access to resources.

This study reviews results of a pilot employment program in New York, a part of the Strengthening Families Through Stronger Fathers Initiative. The program provided employment-oriented services, fatherhood/parenting workshops, case management, and other support services to nearly 4,000 parents behind in their child support in four New York communities. The evaluation shows that these programs successfully helped participants find work and increase their earnings.

This paper documents an approach, used in Connecticut, for outreaching, connecting, and serving low-income, ethnically diverse, non-custodial fathers. The approach focuses on engaging men "where they are" by building their strengths and addressing their needs and helping fathers become positive and healthy role models by increasing their attachment to their children and families. The approach focuses on skill development in several areas, including education, economic stability, family/child support, and mental and physical health.