Text: HF00681 Text: HF00683 Text: HF00600 - HF00699 Text: HF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 217A.1 PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT 1 2 PROGRAM. 1 3 1. The department of human services shall convene an 1 4 advisory group that includes representatives of the Iowa 1 5 department of public health, the department of education, the 1 6 department of workforce development, the department of 1 7 corrections, the Iowa empowerment board, other state agencies 1 8 that provide services to families, and representatives of 1 9 business and industry, parents, and state and local community 1 10 leaders, to develop a plan that provides a comprehensive 1 11 approach to policy and service delivery at the state, county, 1 12 and local level and provides a network of services to assist 1 13 both mothers and fathers in parenting their children. While 1 14 the comprehensive approach shall address the needs of both 1 15 parents, the focus shall be on creating a policy and service 1 16 delivery system that provides a network of resources to assist 1 17 fathers in becoming and remaining engaged in their children's 1 18 lives. The plan shall be implemented on or before December 1 19 31, 2001. The advisory group shall monitor the program and 1 20 shall convene to recommend changes in policy and service 1 21 delivery following implementation. 1 22 2. The comprehensive approach to parental involvement 1 23 shall provide for all of the following: 1 24 a. STRUCTURE AND POLICIES. 1 25 (1) Identification of state laws, regulations, policies, 1 26 and practices that interfere with or fail to help fathers 1 27 become or remain engaged in their children's lives. Following 1 28 identification, a statewide policy and service delivery 1 29 strategy shall be developed and implemented to facilitate 1 30 collaboration between existing state agencies to provide 1 31 access points to channel fathers to necessary services. The 1 32 policy and service delivery system shall support both parents 1 33 and shall be gender neutral. 1 34 (2) Development of flexible service delivery options 1 35 within the state system, including in the public assistance 2 1 and child support systems, to address the varying needs of 2 2 families which may include traditional enforcement of program 2 3 requirements, referral to services, or other options. 2 4 (3) Integration of the state system and community level 2 5 services to provide a social network that is accessible to 2 6 fathers as well as mothers. The integration shall include the 2 7 development of a partnership between the courts, child support 2 8 enforcement, the family investment program and other state 2 9 programs, and community-based organizations that deliver an 2 10 array of services. The partnership shall promote delivery of 2 11 services to fathers at the same level as to mothers and the 2 12 services shall include but are not limited to employment 2 13 assistance; job training; peer support; relationship building; 2 14 parenting; social and business skills development; and other 2 15 services that increase a parent's ability to be a successful 2 16 parent. 2 17 (4) Creation of a systemwide approach for delivery of 2 18 services to families that creates a family support network 2 19 that does all of the following: 2 20 (a) Trains service workers to include both fathers and 2 21 mothers as a family unit, rather than separately, in the 2 22 delivery of services. 2 23 (b) Promotes a common awareness across disciplines, for 2 24 workers providing services to parents and families, of the 2 25 importance of both parents in children's lives. 2 26 (c) Systematically engages both parents and does not 2 27 segment families in the provision of services. 2 28 (d) Improves communication across delivery systems. 2 29 (e) Provides for the partnering of various disciplines and 2 30 levels of government in providing services to parents and 2 31 families. 2 32 (5) Implementation of enhanced child support policies. 2 33 Child support agencies shall be used to combine traditional 2 34 support enforcement efforts with nontraditional methods such 2 35 as downward modification which reflect the father's real 3 1 income, referral to employment services, development of 3 2 payment plans, and referral to services to negotiate 3 3 visitation plans or develop better parenting and relationship 3 4 skills. Policies shall provide for services to both parents 3 5 as a family unit and shall view fathers as clients of the 3 6 system not as adversaries of the system. Enhanced child 3 7 support policies shall include the development of procedures 3 8 to distinguish fathers who are able to pay support but refuse 3 9 to pay support from fathers who are unable to pay support due 3 10 to unemployment or employment that pays an insufficient wage 3 11 for self-support and support of children. Child support 3 12 procedures shall include outreach to fathers prior to child 3 13 support proceedings to elicit their input in establishing a 3 14 realistic child support order amount, and shall provide 3 15 fathers with information about the child support system 3 16 including information regarding rights and responsibilities 3 17 under the system. 3 18 b. CONNECTING FATHERS WITH NECESSARY SERVICES. 3 19 (1) Utilization of the existing service system, including 3 20 the courts and the public assistance and child support 3 21 systems, as contact points to connect fathers with local 3 22 community-based services that help fathers develop the skills 3 23 to become better parents and partners and more productive 3 24 members of the workforce. 3 25 (2) Utilization of employment opportunities and training 3 26 as catalysts to involve fathers with programs and then 3 27 encourage participation in supplementary services such as peer 3 28 support, counseling, anger management, and parenting education 3 29 that help fathers develop skills to retain jobs and build 3 30 healthy relationships. 3 31 (3) Utilization of nontraditional contacts such as 3 32 voluntary paternity establishment programs, child care 3 33 centers, head start, recreation centers, and others to connect 3 34 fathers with necessary services. 3 35 (4) Utilization of contacts with women who are 4 1 participating in public assistance programs to connect with 4 2 fathers, if appropriate. 4 3 c. PUBLIC AWARENESS. 4 4 (1) Promotion of public awareness of the importance of the 4 5 emotional and financial involvement of both parents in their 4 6 children's lives. 4 7 (2) Use of the media to encourage parents to discuss 4 8 pregnancy prevention and parental responsibility with their 4 9 children. 4 10 d. PREVENTION OF AND PLANNING FOR PARENTHOOD. 4 11 (1) Inclusion in the curriculum of grades nine through 4 12 twelve and in the postsecondary education curriculum of 4 13 responsible parenthood programs. The curriculum shall target 4 14 both young men and young women and shall include gender- 4 15 specific lessons for males and females that focus on the 4 16 unique male and female roles in pregnancy prevention. Other 4 17 programs that encourage young men and women to delay 4 18 parenthood and that provide preparation for the emotional, 4 19 legal, financial, and educational responsibilities of 4 20 parenthood shall be promoted. 4 21 (2) Utilization of a variety of access points to reach 4 22 young men who may be outside of the school environment to 4 23 provide prevention information. Such access points may 4 24 include recreation centers and sporting events, youth 4 25 development, peer education, youth leadership development, 4 26 male involvement groups, media campaigns, community programs, 4 27 and street outreach. Information provided shall focus on the 4 28 issues of respect, leadership, and responsibility. Mentoring 4 29 programs shall be used to provide young men with positive 4 30 adult role models. A sense of hope for the future shall be 4 31 encouraged by providing alternatives to risky behaviors such 4 32 as educational and employment opportunities combined with 4 33 training in life skills, prevention information, and male 4 34 responsibility. 4 35 (3) Integration of responsible parenthood and fatherhood 5 1 curricula into existing abstinence and sexuality education. 5 2 e. EMPLOYMENT POLICIES. Promotion of employment policies 5 3 in the public and private sectors that are single-parent 5 4 friendly. 5 5 f. FUNDING. Identification of funding streams to channel 5 6 available funds to parental involvement programs. 5 7 EXPLANATION 5 8 This bill directs the department of human services to 5 9 convene an advisory group to develop a plan to provide a 5 10 comprehensive approach to policy and service delivery at the 5 11 state, county, and local levels that provides a network of 5 12 services to assist both mothers and fathers in parenting their 5 13 children. The bill provides that while the plan is to address 5 14 the needs of both parents, the focus is to be on providing a 5 15 network of services to fathers. The plan is to be implemented 5 16 on or before December 31, 2001. The approach is to include 5 17 provisions relating to system structure and policies, 5 18 connection of fathers with necessary services, public 5 19 awareness, prevention of and planning for parenthood, 5 20 employment policy improvements, and identification and 5 21 channeling of funding streams to support parental involvement 5 22 programs. 5 23 LSB 2896HV 79 5 24 pf/pj/5
Text: HF00681 Text: HF00683 Text: HF00600 - HF00699 Text: HF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
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