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![handle is hein.crs/crsahgg0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Order Code RS20385
Updated January 29, 2001
Connecting Fathers to Their Children:
Fatherhood Legislation Considered
in the 106th Congress
Carmen Solomon-Fears
Specialist in Social Legislation
Domestic Social Policy Division
Summary
In recognition of the negative long-term consequences for children associated with
the absence of their father, federal, state and local initiatives to promote financial and
personal responsibility of noncustodial parents to their children are receiving more
attention. The Clinton Administration's FY2001 budget included a couple of initiatives
intended to help noncustodial parents who are unable to pay child support to get the
support and skills they need to find work; these initiatives were not passed. In addition,
severalfatherhoodbills (H.R. 3073, H.R. 4678/H.R. 4469, S. 1364/H.R. 4671, and H.R.
1482/S. 1317) were introduced in the 106h Congress. H.R. 3073, the Fathers Count Act
of 1999, was passed by the House on November 10, 1999; H.R. 4678, a bill that contains
a similar fatherhood grant program, was passed by the House on September 7, 2000.
Although the fatherhood grant program was not passed, the Consolidated Appropriations
Act for FY2001 (P.L. 106-554) provides $500,000 for each of two specified fatherhood
organizations and P.L. 106-553 provides another $3 million for one of the
aforementioned fatherhood organizations. This report will not be updated once the 107'
Congress begins.
Introduction
Research indicates that children raised in single-parent families are more likely to do
poorly in school, have emotional and behavioral problems, become teenage parents, and
have poverty-level incomes, compared to children raised in two-parent families.
Nonetheless, the fact remains that a significant percentage of children will be raised in
single-parent families. In recognition of the negative long-term consequences associated
1 Children benefit from fathers' involvement-New studies examine men's role in the family. June
16,2000. [http://www.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/children/06/16/father.studies/index.html] See also:
What Do Fathers Contribute to Children's Well-Being? by Suzanne Le Menestrel and The
Meaning of Father Involvement for Children by Tamara Hale. Child Trends Research Brief.
Congressional Research Service
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
The Library of Congress](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.crs/crsahgg0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)