Recognizing the valuable role of non-custodial parents (NCPs) in the lives of their children, there are a variety of programs that engage NCPs in employment services designed to increase the financial stability of both the NCP and the custodial family. Research has demonstrated that employment programs for low-income NCPs have far-reaching effects of improving family outcomes. When TANF families receive reliable child support payments, they are more likely to experience improved economic stability and enhanced family well-being due to a more consistent and predictable flow of income each month. In order for NCPs to provide such support, they need steady income through long-term livable wage employment. However, similarly to TANF participants, many NCPs struggle with a variety of employment barriers that are prohibitive to obtaining and maintaining stable employment.

An interactive webinar, Improving Economic Stability for TANF Families by Engaging Non-Custodial Parents in Employment Services, was held on September 13, 2017 from 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. EST. During the webinar, programs that serve NCPs shared how they support NCPs in addressing employment barriers and connecting them to meaningful long-term employment.

This video from the 2016 Research and Evaluation Conference on Self-Sufficiency contains a breakout session focusing on disconnected families--those in which adults are neither working nor receiving cash assistance. Panelists discussed the characteristics and circumstances of these families and barriers they face to self-sufficiency.

This video from the 2016 Research and Evaluation Conference on Self-Sufficiency (RECS) reviews findings from the Behavioral Interventions to Advance Self-Sufficiency (BIAS) project as well as lessons learned and next steps for this work. The BIAS portfolio included initiatives in the domains of work supports, child support, and child care.

Children benefit from having involved fathers, but it can be difficult to quantify a father’s level of involvement. This study compares the amount of father involvement reported by mothers with what the fathers themselves report. The researchers used data from 113 fathers and 126 mothers to assess father involvement, and they found that fathers reported significantly higher levels of involvement than mothers. When mothers reported a more positive relationship with fathers, the discrepancy in reported levels of involvement was smaller, while single mothers reported a greater level of discrepancy than married mothers. The authors emphasized the importance of obtaining reports of father involvement directly from fathers.