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CFFPP engages in a wide spectrum of activities. Staff members are currently working on four primary projects. These projects are:
Comprehensive Advocacy   In 2009, CFFPP will work to foster a national discussion around developing a comprehensive advocacy agenda on issues affecting low-income black men and fathers. The initiative will address a wide range of issues that isolate low-income black men from the political and economic mainstream, including issues and policies related to: access and opportunities for working and learning; resources and economic security; health; and social and political agency. The initiative consists of two key components: (1) a national communications campaign centered on policy education; and (2) the development of a comprehensive advocacy platform. The national communications campaign entails expanding the distribution of the Center’s policy briefing, which summarizes current research, policy developments, and practice in the fields of economic support, criminal justice, child support, child welfare, and other issues affecting low-income families. (To subscribe to receive the free monthly policy briefings, please click on and complete the “request form.”) The comprehensive advocacy campaign will culminate in a national meeting to discuss the research and the capacity to carry out a national advocacy agenda based on the lives and needs of low-income black men and fathers.For more information on this project, please contact Jill Groblewski at jgroblewski@cffpp.org or (608) 257-3148 ext. 11.  CFFPP has reached out to and worked collaboratively with women’s organizations and domestic violence advocates since its founding in 1995. Over the years, the Center has facilitated a number of dialogues between fatherhood programs and women’s advocates to openly discuss the potential impact of fathers’ involvement on women and children in general, and on victims/survivors of domestic violence in particular. In 2005, CFFPP received funding from the federal Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) to hold a series of national cross-training discussions and seminars among leaders in the fatherhood and domestic violence fields. These discussions focused on the situations of low-income families and communities and 1) provided information on fatherhood issues to domestic violence programs, 2) provided information about domestic violence and its impact to fatherhood programs, and 3) resulted in the creation of the Collaboration and Partnership Guidebook: Fatherhood Practitioners and Advocates Against Domestic Violence Working Together to Serve Women, Men, and Families. Building on this work, OVW currently funds the Center to explore the delivery of victim services in under-served low-income communities of color, with a particular focus on African American communities. It is the Center’s understanding that many women of color who have experienced violence identify a need for services that may not generally be provided through traditional domestic violence services, as well as a need for services for fathers and men in their communities. CFFPP is holding focus groups in four states to document domestic violence service priorities as identified by victims of color, advocates of color, and a broader range of community service providers. The project aims to utilize this information to develop a regional model of collaborative, community-based services in low-income communities of color that work with women and fathers/men and result in the prevention of domestic violence.For more information on this project, please contact Jill Groblewski at jgroblewski@cffpp.org or (608) 257-3148 ext. 11.  The Center provides national- and state-level analysis and advocacy on public support policies and legislation affecting low-income families, including such areas as welfare or TANF policy, child support policy, and food stamp and Medicaid programs. This represents a central part of the Center’s policy advocacy efforts. The Center is also conducting a project to develop a model program to work with low-income noncustodial parents on financial literacy training, debt reduction (particularly as it pertains to child support debt), and asset development. While there are many programs that provide financial literacy education and debt management services, there are currently no national programs that directly address the situations of low-income mothers and fathers who are struggling with child support issues. Involvement with the system of child support fundamentally affects the ability of individuals to develop savings, establish financial plans, or gain good credit standing. The Center’s project will create the first national model that addresses these issues as it seeks to help low-income noncustodial parents attain greater financial stability and be in a better position to support themselves and their families. |
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