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Fatherhood, Co-Parenting and Child Support information. Get a better of understanding of your rights as a parent before you go to court. We will also give you information on how to be a better father and co-parent with the mother. Our goal is to increase father's involvement in the family structure.

4 New eBooks to Help You Serve Fathers

Delaware Fatherhood and Family Coalition - Tuesday, January 24, 2017

It doesn't matter what setting you're looking to serve fathers in, we can help you. Take a look at our new eBooks to help you not only get started but succeed at serving fathers. 

comm-based-org-persona-ebook.jpg1) Community-Based Organizations > 
The Benefits of Fatherhood Programs in Community-Based Organizations


We understand there are many challenges faced by fathers in America. Thankfully, there are community-based organizations who care about fathers and are interested in connecting fathers to their families.

Here's what you, the community-based leader, can expect from this helpful eBook: 

  • What Fathers Need from Community-Based Organizations
  • Parenting Interventions and Community-Based Organizations
  • 8 Issues Fatherhood Programs Help You Address
  • Community-Based Organizations Having Success with Fatherhood
  • 24/7 Dad® Wrap Around Services
  • Spotlight on one Community-Based Organization who's doing things right

download ebook






corrections-persona-ebook.jpg2) Corrections and Reentry > 
The Power of Fatherhood Education in Corrections and Reentry

There are 2.7 million children with a parent in prison or jail. Ninety-two percent (92%) of parents in prison are fathers. Incarceration makes a significant contribution to father absence. Indeed, it is a cause of father absence. 

How can this eBook help you serve fathers in corrections and reentry settings?

Here's what you'll find for working with incarcerated and/or formerly incarcerated fathers in this new eBook:

  • The Problem for America's Children
  • The Case for Fatherhood in Corrections and Reentry
  • How to Rehabilitate
     and Address Criminogenic Needs
  • How to Maintain Facility Safety and Order
  • Planning for Reentry
  • Reducing Recidivism
  • The Solution for America's Children
  • Evidence-Based Fatherhood Programming
  • Creating Sustainable Programs
  • Programs in Jails and Short-Term Stay Facilities
  • InsideOut Dad® Testimonials

download ebook



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5 Reasons Why Moms Establish Paternity, and 5 Reasons They Don't

Delaware Fatherhood and Family Coalition - Thursday, January 19, 2017

5 Reasons Why Moms Establish Paternity, and 5 Reasons They Don't

Posted by Christopher A. Brown from National Fatherhood Initiaitive


As vital as paternity establishment can be to increase the chance that an unmarried dad will be involved in his child's life, little research exists on the reasons why an unmarried mom chooses or not to name the dad as her child's father. 

That's why the research conducted on 800 unmarried Texas moms by the Child and Family Research Partnership at the University of Texas at Austin continues to be so valuable in increasing the knowledge of direct-service providers about the factors that influence their ability to effectively engage fathers. This research reveals 11 motivators for an unmarried mom establishing paternity. The top 5 from highest to lowest proportion are:

  • Having dad's name on the birth certificate
  • Ensuring mom's child has a legal dad
  • Mom really wanted to establish paternity
  • Dad really wanted to establish paternity
  • Making sure dad is responsible for the child

Clearly, many moms want dad's involvement. Indeed, 7 in 10 unmarried Texas parents--not just in this sample but based on hospital records--establish paternity. Nevertheless, that means 3 in 10 don't, certainly not an insignificant number. The top 5 motivators for an unmarried mom not establishing paternity from highest to lowest proportion are:

  • Dad wasn't present/involved leading up to the birth
  • Dad didn't want to establish paternity
  • Dad didn't think it important to establish paternity
  • Mom didn't think it important to establish paternity
  • Dad doubts he's the father

How can you use this knowledge? 

Use it to identify parents at risk of not establishing paternity and increase the chance they will establish paternity. Ask mom and dad, for example, how important it is for dad to have his name on the birth certificate. Ask them whether it's important that their child has a legal tie to dad. Ask them how important establishing paternity is to them. And to attack the most important motivator for a mom not establishing paternity, get dad involved before his child is born. See my two most recent posts for ways to do just that.

Don't sit idly by and take it for granted that mom and dad want to establish paternity. Remember that establishing paternity leads to a number of benefits for the family that include:

  • The right to include dad's name on the birth certificate.
  • The child’s eligibility for public and private benefits through dad (e.g. health and life insurance, social security, veteran’s benefits, and inheritance).
  • Access to dad's genetic history.
  • The ability to file for child support or establish visitation.
Read full article

What You Need to Know - New Rule to Increase Regular Child Support Payments

Delaware Fatherhood and Family Coalition - Saturday, January 07, 2017

What You Need to Know

New Rule to Increase Regular Child Support Payments

Posted by Christopher A. Brown

Many of the noncustodial dads served by organizations and programs like yours struggle to pay child support.

The ability of fathers to pay child support has been an issue in sore need of addressing at the federal and state levels for many years. After all, if a father can’t afford to pay the child support he owes, it has bad consequences for him, his child, and the mother or guardian of his child.

What You Need to Know > New Rule to Increase Regular Child Support Payments.jpg

That’s why a new rule issued by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF)—the federal agency responsible for child support enforcement and partnering with state, tribal, and local child support agencies—has the potential to positively transform the collection of child support across the country. Although some important provisions didn't make it into the final rule that advocates, including National Fatherhood Initiative, say would have made the rule even more transformative, everyone with a stake in creating effective child support enforcement should be optimistic about its potential.

Specifically, according to ACF, this new rule will make state child support enforcement programs more effective, flexible, and family-friendly. It requires state child support agencies to increase their case investigative efforts to ensure that child support orders—the amount noncustodial parents are required to pay each month—reflect the parent’s ability to pay.

The goal of this new rule is to set realistic orders so that noncustodial parents pay regularly, rather than setting an unrealistically high order that results in higher rates of nonpayment. Mark Greenberg, HHS Assistant Secretary for Children and Families, had this to say of the new rule:

“We know from research that when child support orders are set unrealistically high, noncustodial parents are less likely to pay. In fact, several studies say compliance declines when parents are ordered to pay above 15 to 20 percent of their income.”

and “By ensuring states set their orders based on actual circumstances in the family, we believe the rule will result in more reliable child support payments, and children will benefit.”


The new rule updates the child support program by amending existing policy. Here are a few highlights of the new rule:

  • ensure child support obligations are based upon accurate information and the noncustodial parents’ ability to pay
  • increase consistent timely payments to families as well as the number of noncustodial parents supporting their children
  • strengthen procedural fairness
  • improve child support collection rates
  • reduce the accumulation of unpaid and uncollectible child support arrearages
  • incorporate evidence-based standards tested by states that support good customer service
  • increase program efficiency and simplify operational requirements, including standardizing and streamlining payment processing so employers are not unduly burdened
  • incorporate technological advances that support cost-effective management practices and streamlined intergovernmental enforcement
  • prohibit states from excluding incarceration from consideration as a substantial change in circumstances, require states to notify parents of their right to request a review and adjustment of their order if they will be incarcerated for more than six months, and ensure that child support orders for those who are incarcerated reflect the individuals’ circumstances while continuing to allow states significant flexibility in setting orders for incarcerated parents
  • require state child support agencies to make payments directly to a resident parent, legal guardian, or individual designated by the court in order to reign in aggressive and often inappropriate practices of third-party child support collection agencies

Read the rest of article


About DFFC

The Delaware Fatherhood & Family Coalition is an extension of the Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program and the Responsible Fatherhood Initiative created specifically to give a voice to fathers and the importance of their involvement for the well-being of their children.


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