July 18,2000

Subcommittee on Social Security and Family Policy to Hold Hearing on Fatherhood Initiatives

WASHINGTON -- Senate Finance Committee Chairman William V. Roth, Jr. (R-DE) today announced that the Subcommittee on Social Security and Family Policy, under the chairmanship of Senator Don Nickles (R-OK), will meet on Tuesday, July 25, 2000 at 2:00 p.m., in 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building, to hear testimony on fatherhood initiatives.

The following witnesses are scheduled to appear before the Subcommittee:

I. A panel consisting of:

The Honorable Pete Domenici, U.S. Senator, New Mexico

The Honorable Evan Bayh, U.S. Senator, Indiana

II. A panel consisting of:

David L. Levy, Esq., President, Children's Rights Council, Washington, DC

Ms. Evelyn Lynn, State Representative, Ormond Beach, Florida

Dr. Jeffrey Johnson, President, National Center for Strategic Nonprofit Planning and Community Leadership, Washington, DC

Charles Ballard, Founder & CEO, Institute for Responsible Fatherhood, Washington, DC

Background 

This hearing will examine the importance of non-custodial fathers in the lives of their children. "Fatherhood initiatives" is a broad term that encompasses public and private efforts to help non-custodial fathers meet both financial and parenting responsibilities to their children.

Strong families and communities are essential to providing a secure future for America's children. Although public policy has emphad child support obligations, beyond that there is growing evidence that children with absent fathers are far more likely to encounter myriad problems in growing up. Such children are more likely to drop out of school, become teenage parents, develop drug or alcohol problems, or become involved in violent criminal behavior. When both mother and father are positively and actively engaged in a child's life -- providing not only financial support but love, guidance, and discipline -- that child has a better chance of success.

Witnesses will testify on the impact on children of absent fathers and on successful efforts to involve non-custodial fathers with their families.

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Written Statements: Any individuals or organizations wanting to present their views on these hearings to the Committee are urged to submit a typewritten, single-spaced statement, not exceeding 10 pages in length, for inclusion in the hearing record. The date and subject of the hearing must appear on the first page of the statement. Five copies of the statement should be mailed to the Editorial Section, United States Senate, Committee on Finance, Washington, D.C. 20510, and also to David Podoff, Minority Staff Director, United States Senate, Committee on Finance, Washington, D.C. 20510. Statements must be received no later than noon on Friday, August 4, 2000. Written statements must also be submitted on diskette in a format that can be read by personal computers (plain ASCII text is preferred; other formats will be accepted -- please identify format).