HHS Awards Grants for Child Support Development Projects -1/03

[Smartmarriages ®]

subject: HHS AWARDS GRANTS FOR CHILD SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS-1/03

from: Smart Marriages® 

Very exciting news - here are clips from today's HHS/ACF Press Release that
includes three grants for strengthening marriage.

> Three grants were awarded to faith-based and non-profit organizations and a
> state agency to emphasize the importance of healthy marriage to a child¹s well
> being.  
> 
> - The Marriage Coalition, a faith-based organization in Cleveland Heights,
> Ohio, received $199,994 to test a curriculum to provide poor, unmarried
> parents with knowledge on the importance of establishing paternity and paying
> child support or the advantages of a healthy marriage.
> 
> - In Allentown, Pennsylvania, the Community Services for Children, Inc.
> received $177,374 to provide, in collaboration with local faith-based
> organizations, marriage education, employment and other services to unwed
> couples involved with Early Head Start or Head Start.
> 
> - The Alabama Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board received $200,000 to
> provide services to help low-income, ethnically diverse, unmarried parents
> learn practical skills to promote healthy marriage, improve employment and
> increase paternity establishment rates and child support payments.

Note that Sandra Bender, director, of the Cleveland Marriage Coalition will
be a presenter at the Reno Smart Marriages conference where she'll talk
about capacity-building and will be able to answer your questions about how
they developed a "fundable" project.  (Web: recreatingmarriage.com)

For info on the other projects see their web sites:

Allentown - http://www.cscinc.org/

Alabama Child Abuse and Neglect - http://www.ctf.state.al.us/
- - - - - - - - - 

Contact:  ACF Press Office
January 2, 2003    

HHS AWARDS GRANTS FOR CHILD SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
For Immediate Release
Contact:  ACF Public Affairs  (202-440-9215)

HHS AWARDS GRANTS FOR CHILD SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

Secretary Tommy G.Thompson today announced the awarding of over $2.2 million
in grants to twelve states, faith-based, non-profit and tribal organizations
to further advance the performance of the nation¹s child support enforcement
system.
 
"The Special Improvement Grants (SIP) are part of the ongoing activities by
HHS to enhance the child support program and improve the financial and
emotional well being of children," said Secretary Thompson.  "They are
designed to examine new ways to augment child support enforcement services
to increase child support collections, promote fatherhood and healthy
marriage, and help struggling families take care of their children."

Several grants are designed to help low-income fathers meet their child
support and family responsibilities.  Wade F. Horn, assistant secretary for
children and families, said, "It is extremely important for us to reach out
to those who need help in acquiring the skills necessary to build
relationships and be effective parents."

- The Maryland Child Support Enforcement Program received $200,000 to, in
collaboration with the Mayor¹s Office, Maryland Department of Corrections,
and community-based groups, test a model approach to increase employment and
incentives for paying current support, for fathers who are ex-offenders
/parolees. 

- In Muskegon, Michigan, Family Court Services of the 14th Judicial Circuit
received $199,772 to, in collaboration with the County Departments of
Employment and Training, Corrections and Child Support, as well as various
faith-based and community organizations, help unemployed fathers by
combining employment programs with family counseling and management of their
child support debt.

- The Imperial Valley Regional Occupational Program¹s Project Dads, in El
Centro, California, received $141,858 to, in collaboration with other
agencies, help fathers obtain employment, assist them with child support
order modifications and help them access parental skills training.

Three grants were awarded to faith-based and non-profit organizations and a
state agency to emphasize the importance of healthy marriage to a child¹s
well being.  

- The Marriage Coalition, a faith-based organization in Cleveland Heights,
Ohio, received $199,994 to test a curriculum to provide poor, unmarried
parents with knowledge on the importance of establishing paternity and
paying child support or the advantages of a healthy marriage.

- In Allentown, Pennsylvania, the Community Services for Children, Inc.
received $177,374 to provide, in collaboration with local faith-based
organizations, marriage education, employment and other services to unwed
couples involved with Early Head Start or Head Start.

- The Alabama Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board received $200,000 to
provide services to help low-income, ethnically diverse, unmarried parents
learn practical skills to promote healthy marriage, improve employment and
increase paternity establishment rates and child support payments.

Four grant awards will focus on expanding use of automation and state best
practices to enhance enforcement tools, improve customer service and
increase child support collections.

- South Carolina received $414,574, on behalf of the Electronic Parent
Locator Network/Financial Institution Data Match Consortium of 14 states, to
develop an on-line means to initiate and respond to state requests for
automated enforcement of interstate cases.  This project aims to expedite
and successfully collect past-due child support through seizure, as
necessary, of funds in non-custodial parents¹ accounts in financial
institutions located in states other than those where the child support is
owed.   

- Colorado was awarded $100,000 to utilize web site technology to increase
customer services by providing parents, employers and caseworkers the
ability to access case data and input data on-line.

- Iowa received $99,090 to enhance its web site to provide self-access
services for its customers to improve its process of qualifying and applying
for child support order modifications.

- North Carolina received $200,000 to develop an automatic "call-back"
telephone system to remind customers of scheduled appointments and hearings
and also to remind those who have missed payments that they are delinquent ­
a proven technique used by private debt collectors.

Two grant awards were made focusing on assistance to tribal child support
programs and enforcement of medical support orders.

- The National American Indian Court Judges Association, Inc. received
$199,887 to conduct a needs assessment and provide technical assistance and
models of child support services to help tribal courts and agencies
implement successful and effective child support programs.

- Montana was awarded $149,464 to initiate enforcement of the custodial
parent¹s health insurance coverage, as appropriate; to decrease public funds
spent on children¹s medical coverage and increase the number of cases where
premium costs are shared in a balanced manner between parents.

###
                   
Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets, and other press materials are
available at www.hhs.gov/news.


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