**OCSE Child Access & Visitation Program Name of State: Massachusetts**

**Part I: Contact Information**

-   Name of State Program Contact Bette A. Winik

-   Name of Designated State Agency Massachusetts Department of Revenue

-   Street Address Child Support Enforcement Program

-   City, State, & Zipcode 51 Sleeper Street, (P.O. Box 9492)

> Boston, Massachusetts 02205

-   Telephone no. (617) 626-4182

-   E-mail Address <winikb@dor.ma.state.us>

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-   Fax no. (617) 626-4169

## 

## Part II: Statistical Profile 

-   Total no. of minor children under 18 years

> of age living with one biological parent 336,030
>
> (1990 U.S. Census data)

## Part III: Previous and Current Year Funding Levels

**[Federal \$ Grant]{.underline} [State \$ Match]{.underline} and
[Percentage]{.underline}**

-   FFY 1997 \$ 171,787 \$ 19,087 10%

-   FFY 1998 \$ 171,787 \$ 19,087 10%

-   FFY 1999 \$ 152,313 \$ 16,924 10%

-   FFY 2000 \$ 152,313 \$ 16,924 10%

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## 

## Part IV: Summary of State's Proposed Use of FFY 2000 Grant Funds

**[Yes]{.underline} [No]{.underline}**

#### Process for Awarding Funds: 

#### Request for Proposals 

#### (new & continuation)

-   **New only**

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-   **Continuation only**

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-   **Other\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_**

**Time of Year RFP's are Issued and/or Funding Decisions Are Made:**

Fall \_\_\_\_\_ Winter \_\_\_\_\_ Spring \_\_\_\_\_ Summer \_\_\_\_\_

**Award of Funds:** Grants \_\_\_\_\_ Contracts \_\_\_\_\_ Cooperative
Agreements \_\_\_\_\_

**[Targeted Priority Areas]{.underline}:**

-   **Mediation**

voluntary **Yes \_\_X\_\_ No \_\_\_\_\_**

mandatory **Yes \_\_\_\_\_ No \_\_X\_\_**

-   **Counseling Yes \_\_X\_\_ No \_\_\_\_\_**

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-   **Education Yes \_\_X\_\_ No \_\_\_\_\_**

-   **Parenting Plans Yes \_\_X\_\_ No \_\_\_\_\_**

-   **Visitation Enforcement**

monitoring **Yes \_\_X\_\_ No \_\_\_\_\_**

supervision **Yes \_\_\_\_\_ No \_\_\_\_\_**

neutral drop-off/pick-up **Yes \_\_\_\_\_ No \_\_\_\_\_**

Page 3 -- Child Access & Visitation (Massachusetts)

-   **Development of Guidelines**

> Visitation **Yes \_\_\_\_\_ No \_\_\_\_\_**
>
> Alternative custody arrangements **Yes \_\_\_\_\_ No \_\_\_\_\_**

**Summary Narrative: Proposed Use of FFY 2000 Funds**

The Massachusetts Department of Revenue's Child Support Enforcement
Division (DOR) proposed to utilize the access and visitation grant to
continue providing services to unmarried parents, particularly fathers,
who encounter significant barriers to responsible parenting. Previous
access and visitation grant funds have been used to develop an
educational video, a brochure and a court and community-based parent
education orientation program for unmarried parents. This grant has also
sponsored the development of a visitation support program to help young
unmarried parents cooperatively parent their children. This project is
currently piloted in the Suffolk County Probate and Family Court and
community social service agencies in the city of Boston. **\
**

The FFY 2000 access and visitation grant will be used to support four
major state initiatives:

1.  The continued development, implementation, and replication of a
    court-based parenting orientation program that encourages positive
    parenting and responsible behavior. This orientation utilizes a
    video and a brochure as the focal points of the facilitator's
    presentation. The orientation describes the court process, child
    support enforcement, and domestic violence policies of the court. In
    addition, the facilitator suggests tips for successful parenting
    time as well as reasonable expectations for shared parenting time.
    The orientation also serves as a provider of referrals to community
    resources

2.  The continued development and implementation of a community-based
    parent education series which is geared particularly towards
    unmarried parents. Such a series will have six to eight sessions on
    such topics as law, child development, communication, conflict
    resolution, health and safety, children's needs, parenting and
    co-parenting. The goal of the parent

Page 4 -- Child Access & Visitation (Massachusetts)

> education efforts will be to equip parents with the information and
> skills necessary to develop a mutually agreeable parenting plan on
> their own with whatever assistance is needed from access and
> visitation staff.

3.  The development of a community-based conflict resolution program
    that works with unmarried parents as they develop a

cooperative parenting plan. This program will be designed to help these
parents resolve their specific parenting issues and

develop mutually agreeable parenting plans that are in the best
interests of their children. Referrals to the Probate and

Family Court will be made for those intractable cases which cannot be
resolved at the community level.

4.  The development of visitation support services to assist unmarried
    families with cooperative parenting issues. The services will be
    available to provide safe and fun opportunities for contact,
    socializing and bonding between non-custodial parents and children,
    especially infants, toddlers, and preschool children. This will be
    accomplished in several ways -- either by developing a network of
    sites such as "visiting rooms" in a number of community centers
    throughout the city or an event with an opportunity for meaningful
    contact such as a visit to the zoo or children's museum. The safety
    of the supported visitation will be assured by utilizing mentors who
    will be trained by access and visitation staff. Moreover, these
    services will be offered to families in which there may be some
    conflict but the level does not constitute domestic violence.

Page 5 -- Child Access & Visitation (Massachusetts)

## Part V: Projects Funded by States with FFY 98 OCSE Dollars

# 

**Grantee Name, Address Amount of Award & Number of Parents Served:**

& Phone Number Services Provided Total \# % fathers % mothers

+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| 1\.                   | Counseling, education | 215 115 100           |
|                       |                       |                       |
| Probate & Family      |                       |                       |
| Court                 |                       |                       |
|                       |                       |                       |
| Suffolk County        |                       |                       |
|                       |                       |                       |
| (617)788-6627         |                       |                       |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| 2\.                   | Consumer information: | 50 50                 |
|                       | individual            |                       |
| Department of         |                       |                       |
| Revenue, CSE          | consultation or group |                       |
|                       |                       |                       |
| Boston, Massachusetts | presentation, review  |                       |
|                       | of file               |                       |
| (617)626-4182         |                       |                       |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| 3\.                   |                       |                       |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| 4\.                   |                       |                       |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| 5\.                   |                       |                       |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| 6\.                   |                       |                       |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+

Page 6 -- Child Access & Visitation (Massachusetts)

# Participant Data: Part A

(by income and marital status)

**Grantee Name & Average Annual Parent Participation Rates:**

#### Program Title Income 

####  divorced separated unwed

+---------------+-----------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 1\.           | Less \<   | 5%          |             | 95%         |
|               | \$10,000  |             |             |             |
| Probate &     | 25%       |             |             |             |
| Family Court  |           |             |             |             |
|               | \$10 -    |             |             |             |
| Suffolk       | 19,000    |             |             |             |
| County        | 50%       |             |             |             |
|               |           |             |             |             |
|               | \$20 -    |             |             |             |
|               | 29,000    |             |             |             |
|               | 15%       |             |             |             |
|               |           |             |             |             |
|               | \$30 -    |             |             |             |
|               | 39,000    |             |             |             |
|               | 10%       |             |             |             |
+---------------+-----------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 2\.           | No        | 5%          |             | 95%         |
|               | In        |             |             |             |
| Department of | formation |             |             |             |
| Revenue, CSE  | Reported  |             |             |             |
|               |           |             |             |             |
| Boston,       |           |             |             |             |
| Massachusetts |           |             |             |             |
+---------------+-----------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 3\.           |           |             |             |             |
+---------------+-----------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 4\.           |           |             |             |             |
+---------------+-----------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 5\.           |           |             |             |             |
+---------------+-----------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 6\.           |           |             |             |             |
+---------------+-----------+-------------+-------------+-------------+

Page 7 -- Child Access & Visitation (Massachusetts)

# Participant Data: Part B

(by race/ethnicity**)**

**Grantee Name [RACIAL / ETHNIC BREAKOUT:]{.underline}**

**White Black Hispanic Asian Native Pacific**

**American Islander**

+----------------+--------+-------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
| **1**.         | 13%    | 87%   | 15%    |        |        |        |
|                |        |       |        |        |        |        |
| Probate &      |        |       |        |        |        |        |
| Family Court   |        |       |        |        |        |        |
|                |        |       |        |        |        |        |
| Suffolk County |        |       |        |        |        |        |
+----------------+--------+-------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
| **2.**         | 13%    | 87%   | 30%    |        |        |        |
|                |        |       |        |        |        |        |
| Department of  |        |       |        |        |        |        |
| Revenue, CSE   |        |       |        |        |        |        |
|                |        |       |        |        |        |        |
| Boston,        |        |       |        |        |        |        |
| Massachusetts  |        |       |        |        |        |        |
+----------------+--------+-------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
| **3.**         |        |       |        |        |        |        |
+----------------+--------+-------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
| **4.**         |        |       |        |        |        |        |
+----------------+--------+-------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
| **5.**         |        |       |        |        |        |        |
+----------------+--------+-------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
| **6.**         |        |       |        |        |        |        |
+----------------+--------+-------+--------+--------+--------+--------+

#### Don't Know \_\_\_\_\_\_ Other, \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ 

Page 8 -- Child Access & Visitation (Massachusetts)

# Sources of Client Referral

**GRANTEE**

> Self-Referral TANF Child Welfare Child Support Social Services Courts
> Private Agency

+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
| 1\.    |        |        |        |        | X      | X      | X      |
|        |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |
| P      |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |
| robate |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |
| &      |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |
| Family |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |
| Court  |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |
+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
| 2\.    |        |        |        |        | X      | X      | X      |
|        |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |
| Depa   |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |
| rtment |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |
| of     |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |
| Re     |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |
| venue, |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |
| CSE    |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |
+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
| 3\.    |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |
+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
| 4\.    |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |
+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
| 5\.    |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |
+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
| 6\.    |        |        |        |        |        |        |        |
+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+