Excellent Primers on the Child Support Program

Being able to navigate the child support program is one of the primary challenges faced by non-custodial fathers served by human service organizations.

National Fatherhood Initiative^® (NFI) is committed to building the capacity of practitioners in helping fathers address this challenge. For example, you can give fathers the 11 Things to Know and Learn About Child Support brochure. You can add our child support booster session to 24:7 Dad^® or any other fatherhood program, or offer it as a stand-alone workshop. And you can search our Championing Fatherhood blog for tips and guidance by entering “child support” into the search field. (Click here for one of my favorite articles.)

I recently learned about a helpful resource as a result of participating on the advisory board for the SAVES Center, an initiative funded by the federal Office of Child Support Services that’s helping survivors of domestic violence, including fathers, to safely pursue child support assistance. This resource, Child Support Enforcement: Program Basics, can help you quickly get up to speed on the child support program’s history, services, funding, and operations.

Another great resource is the Office of Child Support Service’s 50-year anniversary web page. It can also help you quickly learn about the child support program, and it includes information and handouts to share with fathers and co-workers. The information includes a list of resources that help fathers with child support, employment, housing, and more.

I encourage you to build your capacity to proactively help non-custodial dads navigate the child support program. In addition to learning more about the federal program, get up to speed on the nuances of how it operates in your state or tribal territory.

Do you serve non-custodial dads who owe child support?

Did you know that the 11 Things to Know and Learn About Child Support brochure is one of NFI’s most popular? Practitioners and dads love it!