http://www.frostillustrated.com/news/2006/0222/News/005.html

Congress approves Bayh’s fatherhood legislation

U.S Congress approved U.S. Evan Bayh’s Responsible Fatherhood Act earlier this month to help end the epidemic of absentee fathers in the U.S. As part of the Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Marriages grant, state and private organizations could receive up to $250 million over the next five years toward programming, but $50 million in mandatory funding could be available this year.


http://bayh.senate.gov/releases/2006/02/02FEB06PR5.htm

Congress Passes Legislation Modeled on Bayh's Responsible Fatherhood Act

Responsible Fatherhood Act was Bayh's first piece of legislation in the Senate


Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Evan Bayh today announced that the U.S. Congress passed legislation based on his first bill in the Senate, the Responsible Fatherhood Act. The legislation, which passed in the spending reconciliation conference agreement late yesterday, will provide up to $50 million in mandatory funding this year for responsible fatherhood programs. Bayh has worked to end the epidemic of absentee fathers in America since his time as Governor of Indiana.

"This legislation is the result of years of work and represents a significant victory in our efforts to encourage more men to be responsible fathers," Senator Bayh said. "While there are parts of the spending bill I disagree with, I could not be prouder to announce today that real support is on its way to ensure that fewer children grow up without their fathers in their lives. For the first time ever, programs across the country will have the tools they need to begin reversing the trend of fatherless families."

The fatherhood legislation was included as part of the spending reconciliation conference agreement, which now awaits only the President's signature before becoming law. Although Senator Bayh voted against the agreement because it contains significant cuts to key health, education, and social programs that provide critical services to many American families, he has long pushed Congress to provide funding for responsible fatherhood programs.

The provision, which is part of a Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Marriages grant, will provide funding for state and private organizations to establish responsible fatherhood workshops. Over the next five years, as much as $250 million could be directed toward such programs.

Encouraging responsible fathers would help promote stronger families and more secure children, root out some of our most persistent social challenges, and build on efforts to reduce government dependency on welfare. The number of children growing up in homes without fathers has more than quadrupled over the past 40 years, from five million children in 1960 to more than 24 million today. At the same time, studies show that these children are five times more likely to live in poverty, twice as likely to commit a crime, twice as likely to drop out of school or abuse drugs or alcohol, and more likely to commit a crime, commit suicide or become pregnant as a teenager.