Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support of the Committee on Ways and Means, announced today that the Subcommittee will hold a hearing to evaluate the effectiveness of responsible fatherhood programs.  The hearing will take place on Thursday, June 17, 2010, at 10:00 a.m. in B-318 Rayburn House Office Building.  In view of the limited time available to hear witnesses, oral testimony at this hearing will be from invited witnesses only.  However, any individual or organization not scheduled to appear may submit a written statement for consideration by the Subcommittee and for inclusion in the record of the hearing.

BACKGROUND:                                                                

Up to $50 million in Federal funds per year is now available in competitive grants to States, territories, Indian tribes, and public and non-profit community organizations to operate Responsible Fatherhood Initiatives.  The program is designed to promote responsible fatherhood through: parenting activities, fostering the economic stability of fathers, marriage promotion, and collaborating with non-profit fatherhood promotion organizations to develop and advance media campaigns to encourage parental involvement.  Funding for the program expires on September 30, 2010. 

President Obama included a proposal in his FY2011 budget to redirect funds from the current Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Programs into a new Fatherhood, Marriage, and Families Innovation Fund.  The new program would provide competitive grants to States to develop, implement, and evaluate comprehensive responsible fatherhood programs and comprehensive family demonstrations that improve child well-being by improving the outcomes for families experiencing severe barriers to self-sufficiency.  The proposal would provide $500 million in FY2011 and $150 million per year for FY2012 through FY2015. 

In announcing the hearing, Chairman McDermott stated, “I look forward to hearing how Responsible Fatherhood Initiatives have helped men play a bigger role in the lives of their children, and how the program might be built upon to improve the overall well-being of vulnerable children and their families.”

FOCUS OF THE HEARING:  

The hearing will focus on the effectiveness of Responsible Fatherhood Programs in improving the relationship between non-custodial parents and their children, as well as their ability to provide financial support.