The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services runs the Responsible Fatherhood Grants Program through the Administration for Children & Families Office of Family Assistance. This program is part of a $150 million annual effort to promote healthy marriages and responsible fatherhood for Tennessee fathers and those across the United States.
The fatherhood program receives an annual grant of $75 million as stipulated by the Claims Resolution Act of 2010, which is used to encourage fathers to be responsible parents. The program also offers fathers assistance in various areas, such as obtaining employment, parenting skills and spreading general awareness about parental responsibility in order to improve a dad’s interaction with his child.
The Tennessee chapter branch of the Responsible Fatherhood Grants Program administers several programs targeted at fathers of all ages and family backgrounds. One important objective of the program is to spread awareness about the complexities involved with early or unwanted fatherhood.
A primary focus of the Tennessee program is to prevent alcohol and drug abuse, to improve employability and to highlight the importance of a healthy family life for a specific age group. Additionally, the state of Tennessee also funds 21 programs that focus on reducing adolescent pregnancy rates.
Similarly, federal grants are also utilized to address the needs of Tennessee residents experiencing a number of different family law issues, such as child custody and child support, domestic violence, paternity establishment, preserving the sanctity of marriage. Grants are also used to help provide economic independence for low-income, non-custodial fathers.
The evolution of fathers’ rights in the past few decades has been instrumental, to a great extent, in bringing to the forefront many issues faced by non-custodial fathers. However, even with these best efforts in place, it can sometimes become difficult for a non-custodial father to exercise his parental rights. It may be beneficial in such scenarios for a father to seek legal assistance.
Source: Fatherhood.gov, “Strategies Intended to Promote Parenting and Responsible Fatherhood,” accessed on Sept. 17, 2014
