Under the AFDC system, if unpaid child support accumulated before the family was accepted into the welfare program or after the family left the program, the state and federal governments were reimbursed before the family received any of the collected support. Keeping Fathers Present Federal legislation also encourages states to foster family stability. For cases where the father is already in the home, the PRA allows states to provide TANF assistance to families where both parents are present based on the household income. Since each state can define what constitutes a family, theoretically, a state can acknowledge the nonresident father's presence by including him as part of the family unit. This practice will also make nonresident fathers eligible for employment training, subsidized employment, and activities that promote personal development which are offered to other TANF recipients.
States can also encourage fathers to be involved by enhancing access and visitation programs.
States can apply for federal grants to develop and expand programs that provide parents in conflict with counseling, mediation, or other services to lessen the stress of divorce on children. Such programs can also offer a supervised and protective environment where children in families with a history of domestic violence can maintain contact with the father. Evaluations Are Lacking Unfortunately, the new law does not give the states any incentive to evaluate or monitor the impact of the changes in child support enforcement and other laws designed to modify parental behaviors. Until there are systematic evaluations of the effectiveness of both liberal and strict provisions in the law, their efficacy will be unknown. The preamble to the PRA states that responsible fatherhood and motherhood are central to the healthy growth and development of children.