Addressing racial disproportionality and disparities in human services

Abstract

authors argue for policy changes aimed at promoting men’s economic stability, including those that would ensure that child support orders do not imperil fathers’ financial solvency, and those that would make nonresident fathers eligible to receive tax credits for child support contributions. Whereas the authors acknowledge the benefits that children receive from child support payments, fathers’ financial contributions often do not directly benefit children whose parents receive public assistance on their behalf. Most states limit the amount of child support that is passed to children receiving public aid, instead using child support funds to reimburse the state’s outlays for that child. The book might have been strengthened by an analysis of the implications of such state policies for economically vulnerable families. On balance, Failing Our Fathers offers a succinct overview of the challenges facing economically vulnerable fathers. This book would be especially useful for scholars, policy-makers, and others aiming to gain an understanding of recent research on nonresidential fathers. The research and analyses presented here offer a solid starting point for dialogue about policy changes that would better support vulnerable fathers and their families.