Virginia Fatherhood Resources & Training

The Division of Child Support Enforcement (DCSE) provides technical support and materials to fatherhood groups and service providers. DCSE promotes responsible fatherhood and two-parent families through various joint projects that include community campaigns and training (e.g. community groups, local fatherhood programs, visitation and mediation programs, and targeted groups such as incarcerated fathers, nonresidential fathers, young fathers and fragile families). Related activities promote the fatherhood movement through the 21 local child support district offices in Virginia.

Virginia Access and Visitation Program

Using a competitive process, Virginia awards sub-grants to non-for-profit and governmental organizations which provide services including mediation, parent education, and development of parenting plans. These organizations serve never-married, separated and divorced parents in nearly all geographic areas of the state.

Community Partnerships and Cooperative Agreements

• The division of child support enforcement (DCSE) partners with the Virginia Employment Commission and community organizations in Henry County to provide information and assistance to displaced Pillowtex employees. At the informational sessions, DCSE staff provide information about services and are available to answer questions.
• DCSE continues to partner with the Martinsville/Henry County Economic Relief Center in Ridgeway, Virginia. Staff is available in that locality to help fathers and mothers so that they do have to travel to Danville.
• DCSE recently entered into a cooperative agreement with New Visions, New Ventures Inc. (NVNV) who was awarded a grant through the Job Opportunities for Low Income Individuals (JOLI) program. While grant funds will primarily give low-income women the opportunity to pursue high wage, nontraditional occupations in building trades, NVNV will accept referrals from DCSE for fathers, in addition to mothers, who are nonresidential parents.
• DCSE entered into a partnership agreement with the Better Housing Coalition (BHC) who was awarded an incremental grant through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Community Services for community economic development. DCSE will be referring unemployed or low-income nonresidential parents for new job opportunities once BHC's construction phase has been completed.
• DCSE continues its partnership with the Total Action Against Poverty (TAP). TAP helps young fathers, under the age of 30, to be good fathers by helping them find jobs, pay their child support, set goals and be role models for their children. TAP's "Fathers at Work in Virginia" (FAWI) program is funded by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. The program, which serves residents in the Roanoke area, is also being tested at five other localities in the U.S. Statistics indicate that those young men who successfully complete the project are paying child support and have become a more positive influence in the lives of their children and in their community.
• Norfolk DCSE has partnered with Second Chances for several years and continues to provide information on child support rights and responsibilities to parents in the program. Second Chances helps recently released, nonviolent and misdemeanor offenders become gainfully employed, self-sufficient and socially stable.

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