President Barack Obama signed the
Omnibus Appropriations Act, yesterday, that includes $140,000 in 2009
appropriations for the Midlands Fatherhood Coalition in Fairfield County and
the South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families.
The federal funding will support an Alternative to Incarceration (ATI)
program, called Jobs Not Jail, in rural
FairfieldCounty.
Through the ATI program, noncustodial low-income fathers who are behind in
child support payments due to unemployment or underemployment are court-ordered
into a rigorous, six-month program instead of going to jail. Men ordered into
the program must secure livable wage employment within 30 days, begin making
monthly child support payments within 45 days and participate in weekly group
sessions and the overall fatherhood program for six months.
“We are very grateful and want to thank Congressman Spratt and Senator
Graham for their support and request for funding of the Jobs Not Jail program
in
FairfieldCounty,”
said
Keith Ivey, site director for
the
FairfieldCounty location of the Midlands
Fatherhood Coalition. “This funding will enable around 40 men to secure,
improve or keep decent jobs, allowing them to meet important child support
obligations and become independent, working members of the community. Equally
important the Jobs Not Jail component saves taxpayers considerably in
incarceration costs.”
While in the
program, participants also increase job readiness
and employment skills, improve parenting and co-parenting skills, increase time
spent with their children, access transportation and become involved
responsible fathers.
The Alternative
to Incarceration for non-payment of child support model was developed by Father
to Father in
North Charleston and has been
successfully replicated in seven other fatherhood programs supported by the
South CarolinaCenter for Fathers and Families. “Over the past two years, 755 fathers went through the Alternative to
Incarceration component in eight of our 12 fatherhood program sites,” said
Chris Myers, chairperson of the
South CarolinaCenter
for Fathers and Families. “While in the program these fathers paid $1,020,980 in
child support and arrears that otherwise would have been uncollected. Over $5 million
was saved in incarceration costs.”
“Thanks to
Congressman Spratt and Senator Graham we can expand this successful program
into
FairfieldCounty where we can divert 40 fathers
from a costly six-month average incarceration to a beneficial fatherhood
program,” said Myers. “The cost savings to taxpayers will near $300,000 and
help reduce overcrowding in the local detention center. The long-term benefits
are immeasurable.”
About the
Midlands
Fatherhood Coalition
The Midlands
Fatherhood Coalition, serving
Fairfield,
Lexington and
Richland
counties, is a community-based program designed to strengthen families through
father engagement. A 501(c)3 nonprofit
organization, the Coalition provides comprehensive assessment and intervention
services to low-income fathers ages 18 and up, and offers programs focused on
four main themes: increasing self-awareness; cooperative parenting skills;
father engagement and financial support of their children.
Established in
1998 the
Fairfield program has over ten years
experience serving fathers in
FairfieldCounty. For the past ten
years this program has consistently served fathers, re-engaging them with their
children and helping them become better and more productive citizens.
About the
South CarolinaCenter
for Fathers and Families
The
South CarolinaCenter for Fathers Families, a faith-based, nonprofit
organization, develops and supports a statewide infrastructure that strengthens
relationships between fathers and families throughout
South Carolina. The Center, a ministry of
the Sisters of Charity Health System, assists fathers in reducing barriers that
may prevent them from providing both emotionally and materially for their
children by providing ongoing leadership, resource development and support
raising and leveraging funds and other resources for six fatherhood programs,
serving 12 locations throughout the state. The Center was founded in 2002 as an
outgrowth of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina’s Fatherhood
Initiative.
