Financial Assistance for Fathers Paying Child Support Programs – Child support refers to a legal obligation that requires one parent to support their child financially. This legal obligation is generally enforced by the court system and is initiated by the state or the other parent. The child support is to make sure parents contribute equally to the economic needs of their children irrespective of whether they are living under the same roof or not.
The responsibility of paying child support can be an enormous economic burden for a lot of fathers in the United States of America. Even though it is an important obligation to fulfill it can put a strain on your household finances and can be challenging to make ends meet. Fortunately, there are financial assistance programs available for fathers who are looking for support to pay for their child support.
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Highlights of this Post
Types Of Financial Assistance Available To Fathers Who Are Paying Child Support
There are several types of financial assistance programs available to needy fathers who are financially struggling to make payments for child support. The program aims to provide the right resources and support to ease the economic burden on fathers and allow their children to get the right financial support. Let’s take a look at the following sources of insurance support for fathers paying child support.
Government Assistance Programs
Government-funded assistance programs for low-income families including fathers paying child support are a viable source to get assistance. This includes the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance For Needy Families Program, Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program and so on. Eligibility criteria may vary however the resource can help to reduce your financial burden.
Nonprofit organizations and Charities
Next to government-funded programs are nonprofit organizations and charities that provide financial assistance programs for fathers who are paying child support. These include Catholic churches, Salvation Army, United Way etc. which you need to explore and seek their guidance.
Child Support Debt Forgiveness Programs
There are many state-run debt forgiveness programs and fathers who are paying child support can access to make a part of their child support forgiven. Such programs have stringent eligibility criteria and are reserved for individuals who have child support arrears.
For instance California Compromise of Arrears Program assists people who are in arrears by enabling them to make up partial payments towards their overall debt and have the remaining debt eliminated by the government. The plan works by lowering the amount they have to pay in monthly installments or over three years.
Similarly the Clean Slate Program by Illinois removes the debt of fathers who make six consecutive regular child support payments and agree to make the payment in future. If you’re looking for relief programs then you can visit the official office of child support enforcement and get a comprehensive list of participating agencies in every state that provides debt compromise policies.
Community-Based Fatherhood Programs
A lot of community-based organizations in America provide fatherhood programs to offer the right resources and support for fathers so that they can become financially stable. The programs provide financial literacy classes, job training and other supportive services so that fathers can improve their economic situation and can fulfill child support obligations.
Legal Aid Services
There are a lot of legal aid organizations that provide affordable or free legal services for needy individuals and low-income families who are looking for assistance with child support matters. If you’re a father with child support and struggling financially you can utilize legal services in your local area to understand your options and rights about child support payments.
What Are The Eligibility Criteria And Documents Required To Access Financial Assistance For Fathers Paying Child Support?
The eligibility requirements, relevant documents to be submitted and the application procedure for every type of financial assistance program may vary depending on the type of program fathers are considering.
Generally, fathers who are struggling to pay for their child support can access resources from government, nonprofit organizations and employer-sponsored initiatives. The eligibility criteria to qualify for assistance are as follows:
- Be a citizen of the United States, a legal/ permanent resident or an eligible non-citizen
- Have a valid Social Security card
- Belong to the low-income category and meet the income criteria stated by the program. Fathers need to have income below a particular percentage of the federal poverty guideline to qualify for assistance.
- Must demonstrate robust financial need for instance housing crisis, loss of income, significant rise in household expenses, eviction notices etc.
- Apart from the aforementioned requirements, there can be additional criteria that candidates need to fulfill depending on their location and the type of program they are applying for.
Following is the list of documents that you need to submit to demonstrate your eligibility and secure your chance of receiving the assistance.
- Citizenship and immigration documents
- Income verification documents like employment information, tax returns, pay stubs, W2 forms, bank statements
- Proof of financial hardship that you are going through for which it is making it difficult for you to make regular child support for instance utility cutoff, housing crisis, disability, eviction, medical condition, termination electric etcetera
- Proof of benefits that you are receiving from the federal government such as SSI, SNAP, Medicaid etc.
- Personal identification documents such as school registration, passport, driver’s license from original birth certificate etc.
What Is the Financial Assistance Program Funded By the Government For Fathers Paying Child Support?
TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)
TANF or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families is a very well-known grant used by many to provide for their families. This grant can be availed by anyone who lacks funds to provide for their families. This grant can also be used as one of the grants for fathers paying child support other than buying food or shelter.
Head Start Or Early Head Start Program
Head Start and Early Head Start Programs help the children to start with their school experience and also with their mental development, social development, and emotional development.
This program is specially designed for toddlers and little children. Low-income fathers, who meet the eligibility criteria can apply for this financial assistance.
The Father Engagement Birth To Five Program was born out of this program, in an attempt to keep fathers stay engaged in their child’s growth and development at an early age.
State-Funded Pre-Kindergarten Programs
The state-funded pre-kindergarten programs cover a significant part of your child’s educational career, for instance pre-kindergarten and kindergarten. The programs provide financial assistance for low-income fathers who are paying child support with assistance programs and grants so that they can get their children into kindergarten.
State-funded kindergarten programs assist families including fathers with children in age between three to five. The programs help children focus on school readiness and early education. The programs can be part-time or full time and you need to check with your referral agency or childcare agency near you to learn if your state provides these programs.
National School Lunch Program
The federally funded National School Lunch Program provides free or discounted lunches as well as nutritional assistance to school-age children belonging to low-income families.
Fathers who are struggling financially to make regular child payments can reduce their financial burden to some extent by providing nutritious lunch to their children through the National School lunch program.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program
Formerly known as the Food Stamp Program the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides low-income families and individuals with funding opportunities so that they can purchase healthier and nutritious food items at participating retail or grocery stores.
The eligibility criteria to receive SNAP benefits will be determined by the household size and income level of the applicant. Others who are struggling to pay for child support can qualify for these benefits in case their monthly child support payments exceed a particular amount.
Child Care Subsidy Program
The Child Care Subsidy Program assists low-income individuals and families who are paying childcare expenses while they are attending school or employed somewhere.
The eligibility criteria may vary depending on your state however fathers should either have sole or shared custody of their children and also meet the income guidelines to qualify for assistance and get help with childcare costs.
The child care development block grant assists fathers by providing support with childcare expenses. The program helps in covering significant costs of childcare like in-home care, daycare centers and after-school programs. Others who are looking for inexpensive child help to reduce their economic burden and continue making child support payments can turn to this program.
Child Care Access Means Parents In School Program
The federal grant that provides campus- based healthcare assistance to low-income parents including fathers in post-secondary education is known as Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program.
The program assists low-income parents who need childcare assistance to graduate with a college degree to remain in school. The amount of assistance that you can receive through this program will be based on your financial income, eligibility status, financial need and family contribution level.
Unemployment Insurance Benefits
Fathers who are facing long-term unemployment, or have recently lost their jobs can be eligible for the federally funded Unemployment Insurance Program. The benefits provide temporary financial relief until they can access new employment and resume making regular child support payments.
The US Department of Labor provides an unemployment insurance program to individuals who have lost their jobs due to no fault of their own. The program assists unemployed fathers who are struggling to make child support payments by providing them weekly compensation temporarily by replacing a part of their wages until they get a new job.
Children’s Health Insurance Programs
Fathers who are earning too much to qualify for the Medicare program can enroll their children in the Children’s Health Insurance Program which is a low-cost health insurance program funded by the federal government. The eligibility criteria of the program may vary depending on your state of residence and your household income.
The program provides health insurance coverage to children belonging to low-income families and offer similar medical services that individuals get through the Medicaid program. Low-income fathers who are making regular child support can reduce their financial burden to some extent by accessing low-cost health insurance programs for their children.
Public Housing Program
Public housing is a part of the government-subsidized housing program designed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide sound, healthy and safe housing to low-income families.
These housings are a cluster of units or houses built by the federal government to assist the needy and homeless individuals who are going through financial hardship after making a significant portion of income as child support and in need of a habitable or safe house.
Housing Choice Voucher Program
HUD sponsored a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program assists low-income individuals and families to reduce their economic burden by paying a part of their rent every month. Fathers who are financially challenged and are unable to pay for their rent while making regular child support can turn to the Section 8 housing choice voucher program.
Even though the program does not assist fathers with direct child support payments it helps to make sure individuals get a secure and safe dwelling and reduce the economic burden on rent. Fathers who are eligible for this program have to make 30% of their monthly income towards utility and rent payments while the difference will be covered by HUD.
The Strong Families Initiative
The Department of Housing and Urban Development has designed the Strong Families Initiative to focus on families in multifamily or public housing projects. The initiative is built around education, health and economic empowerment and a lot of family-friendly events are conducted in neighborhoods to promote self-sufficiency and economic opportunity for residents.
The program connects non-custodial and low-income parents to new career paths with high wages and makes them financially stable to make more regular payments for their children. The department addresses the fact that being connected with jobs for non-custodial parents is a key to making regular child support payments.
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Non Profit Organizations That Assist Fathers Who Are Paying Child Support
Catholic Charities Child Support Assistance
Catholic charities is one of the largest and well known non profit organizations that runs several programs to provide its services to help fathers in paying for their child’s support. Numerous fathers have been helped in the entire country by the programs to help in paying for their children’s support. There are some basic criteria for fathers paying child support to be eligible in taking these financial assistance or charities provided by the church.
The Salvation Army Child Support
The Salvation Army is the most renowned non profit organization in the entire United States of America. The programs provided by the Salvation Army are designed especially for the low income fathers who struggle to pay for their child’s alimony and child support both at the same time. This organization is located in every city, town, state and country to help fathers pay child support.
Fathering Together
The organization further assists fathers with the right resources, financial assistance and tools to uplift them. The organization assists fathers coming from different walks of life and helps them with peer support, advice, financial assistance and many other supportive services so that they can make the world a safer and better place for their children.
Fathers Incorporated
A nonprofit organization in the United States of America known as Fathers Incorporated emphasizes supporting needy fathers through advocacy, training and education. The organization provides various resources for eligible candidates on topics like employment assistance and fatherhood. If you’re looking for ways to cover your childcare costs and reduce your economic burden then you can turn to this nonprofit organization.
National Fatherhood Initiative
The nonprofit organization known as National Fatherhood Initiative provides a plethora of support and resources to low-income families and fathers in areas like co-parenting, parenting and financial stability.
Others can participate in the programs and resources funded by the organization by contacting them directly or visiting their official website. The organization supports fathers who are looking for ways to cover their childcare payments.
What Are The Employers Sponsored Initiatives That Assist Fathers To Cover Childcare Payments?
From government-funded assistance programs and nonprofit organizations, there are employer-sponsored initiatives that fathers can look for if they need assistance to cover childcare payments. Let’s take a look at the following employee-sponsored initiatives
Employee Assistance Program
Workplace programs known as Employee Assistance Programs are designed to assist employees in managing their work or personal associated challenges that are impacting their job performance.
If your company or organization is providing you with an employee assistance program then you can access counseling, legal advice, financial planning and a lot of resources that can be beneficial to you in terms of your economic difficulties.
Paid Parental Leave
New parents including fathers can get paid parental leave through employer-sponsored initiatives. The eligibility criteria may vary depending on the company however others have to work with the company for a particular amount of time before being eligible for the paid parental leave.
What Should I Do If I Am Behind On Child Support?
Fathers make up around 80% of 12.6 million non-custodial parents in America as per reports of the US Census Bureau in reports of 2020. The Department of Health and Human Services in a 2016 study showed that around three-fourths of fathers making child support payments of nearly $346 each month were underemployed or unemployed.
Data suggests that a lot of parents are behind on child support payments if they are incarcerated or facing loss of income. You can contact the office of child support enforcement in your state and discuss a payment plan or option to help you deal with child support payments.
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Conclusion
There is no doubt after a divorce fathers have to face economic hardship while making child support payments that are sometimes beyond their financial ability. A lot of non-custodial fathers have to end up living under minimum living wages as a significant part of their earnings is taken away for regular child support. Fortunately, there are financial assistance programs to help fathers pay child support. You can apply for the aforementioned programs to receive free money that can help you with health, education, utility bills, housing, food and many other areas. Fathers can use benefits.gov or grants.gov website as a search engine to access available financial help and grants from the government. They can also visit their state Department of Health and Human Services or social service agency to get additional help.
Read our blog post about Federal Government Housing Grants For Low Income Families. If you are interested in other grants and assistance programs to help improve your living situation, check out our other blogs at Get Government Grants.
Frequently Asked Questions
What rights does a parent who gives child custody or alimony have?
You should cover the cost of food, clothing, room, and medical and hospital care, as well as pregnancy and delivery expenses, if necessary. Additionally, minors are subject to the costs associated with their education and the provision of trades, arts, and professions suitable to their personal circumstances.
How much do fathers pay for child support
In most cases, alimony is given at a rate of 15% of an individual’s income. This amount is for each child. The economic calculation is up to the judge depending on the situation and will be based on the location of the defendants’ residence.
Is there help for fathers paying child support?
Yes, There are various charities such as Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, Programs (Sponsored by Federal Governments and Non Profit Organizations) that help for father paying child support.
