Fatherhood program expanding to serve more families

The Division of Child Support Services (DCSS) offers outreach programs that serve parents who are court-ordered to pay child support who are unemployed or underemployed.

The Fatherhood program connects parents with resources such as GED assistance and job readiness training. These resources lead to jobs paying above minimum wage, greater self-sufficiency and more emotional, parental and financial involvement in the lives of children.   

As the nation’s first statewide outreach program to provide services to both male and female parents court-ordered to pay child support, the Fatherhood program assists thousands of families each year. The division currently has more than 70,000 parents who are court-ordered to pay child support and who are unable to meet those obligations due to financial barriers.   

Last year, DCSS assisted approximately 5,512 parents in the Fatherhood program. To address all of the parents in need of additional support, DCSS is expanding relationships with community partners to reach more parents. DCSS plans to increase the number of Fatherhood agents working throughout the state. In addition, the Division aims increase the number of technical college liaisons to provide more GED and certification courses to participants and provide community resource specialists in the northern, central, southeastern and southwestern regions of the state to connect parents with community partners.  

Through federal funding, the Fatherhood program also hopes to increase the resources provided to participants over the next few years. This expansion will lead noncustodial parents to jobs paying above minimum wage, reinstatement of driver’s licenses and greater stability for the whole family.  

More than 11,000 children were supported through the successful completion of the Fatherhood program last year. The expansion of the program will increase the financial and emotional support provided to Georgia’s children.