Fatherhood Program funding cut across Georgia, p. 2 | Atlanta ...
We're continuing our discussion from our last post. The Georgia Department of Labor has cut funding to the Fatherhood Program, leaving the program's administrators scrambling for new funding and the participants wondering what will happen next.
The program was originally developed to help fathers found in contempt of court for failing to make child support payments. Over the years, the focus has shifted more to the whole family.
One coordinator of the Athens Technical College program spoke at length about the challenges faced by the participants.
The biggest hurdle for most participants is learning to deal with the child support system. Again, most participants are identified because they are in contempt of court -- they are more than a little afraid of the court's enforcement mechanisms, the coordinator continued.
The coordinator added that child support services in Georgia are moving away from the enforcement model to a more service-oriented model. The state can't make a total 180, though, because of federal laws that require enforcement.
A simple look at the alternative, he said, should be argument enough for the funding. If these parents aren't getting an education and building or rebuilding work habits, the enforcement mechanisms will just toss them in prison. Either way, it's a cost to the taxpayer, but, in the long run, the fatherhood program will put money back into the state coffers and help families lead healthier, more stable lives.
The program emphasizes that it's not just the fathers who are losing out. Each of the 249 participants who have enrolled at Athens since 2009 has an average of three children. So, in the last two years, the program has helped to improve the lives of almost 750 children.
There are 11 fatherhood programs in Georgia, including one in Atlanta. All are housed in the state's technical colleges.
Source: Athens Banner-Herald (OnlineAthens.com), "Alternatives sought as funds for fatherhood programs cut," April Burkhart, Aug. 22, 2011
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