Resources Relating to State and Federal Legislation:

Minn. Legislature passes father-related laws in 2007: Read about laws passed in 2007 that will impact Minnesota's fathers and families, online here (4-page PDF, Aug. 2007).

Minn. Fatherhood Leadership Initiative: Gov. Tim Pawlenty has proposed funding for innovative fatherhood services, in his budget proposal for 2008 and 2009. A description of the project is available here (2-page PDF, 1/29/2007).

Father-related bills advance: The following list includes father-related bills that have received hearings and have advanced further than many of the others proposed by the 2006 Minnesota Legislature: PDF (1-page document, 4/7/2006).

Minnesota bills have father-focus: In the first weeks of the 2006 Minnnesota Legislative Session, a number of bills were introduced that could potentially affect fathers, families, and the professionals who work with them. See a partial listing of relevant bills: PDF (3-page document, March 2006).

Minnesota's new Child Support Guidelines: Frequently Asked Questions, available here (Feb. 2006). Talking points about the new Child Support Guidelines, available here (Dec. 2005).

First Biennial Report - The Status of Men in New Hampshire: Issued by the New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Men (Nov. 1, 2005).

The Child Support Program: An Investment That Works. Revised to include 2004 data, this article through the Center for Law and Social Policy reviews how child support enforcement programs can help families achieve self-sufficiency. (CLASP, July 2005).

Tough child support laws may deter single men from becoming fathers ( Univ. of Washington, June 2005).

Minnesota's child support changes signed by Gov. Pawlenty, June 2005.

Report on healthy marriage including an overview of marriage demonstration projects, the African American and Hispanic marriage initiatives, marriage research and other resources. Available here (PDF, June 2005, U.S. Admin. for Children and Families).

Handbook on Child Support Enforcement. The U.S. Office of Child Support Enforcement has posted the 2005 version of this federal publication, available here in PDF format.

Minnesota bills that would affect fathers and families, February 2005 (2-pages, PDF).

Review of the Minn. child support program, July 2004, Minn. Legislature.

State of Iowa : Fatherhood, Marriage and Family Supports Advisory Group Report and Recommendations. Presented to the Iowa General Assembly and Gov. Thomas Vilsack, January 2004.

Minnesota Family Assistance Guidebook Released January 2004, this guide describes the federal and state programs that provide assistance to Minnesota families in the form of income, health care, food purchasing and housing.

Government Funding of Faith-Based Services (Center on Fathers, Families, and Public Policy, November 2003).

MFFN cannot guarantee the accuracy of information on the pages and/or documents linked to this page.

Public Policy Websites:

Fatherhood Initiative Homepage, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services: The Department of Health and Human Services has developed a special initiative to support and strengthen the roles of fathers in families. Visit this page to learn about current and proposed federal programs.

Center For Family Policy and Practice
Formerly the Center on Fathers, Families, and Public Policy (CFFPP) is a nationally-focused public policy organization conducting policy research, technical assistance, training, litigation and public education in order to focus attention on the barriers faced by never-married, low-income fathers and their families.

NPNFF Public Policy Issues (Click on "Public Policy")
The National Practitioners’ Network for Fathers and Families posts its latest federal public policy reports and agendas on this page. NPNFF strives to serve the professional development needs & interests of the fathers and fragile families program practitioners.

MOAPPP Public Policy Page
This page details MOAPPP's work as advocates for adolescent pregnancy prevention, adolescent pregnancy care and adolescent parenting in Minnesota. Check out the Legislative Agenda pages to keep abreast of important issues facing the Minnesota state legislature.

National Center for Children in Poverty, Family Stability Resource Page
Children thrive in stable families. The more nurturing children receive at home, the more likely they are to do well in school, form healthy relationships, and create better lives for themselves. Programs and policies aimed at assisting low-income families must acknowledge that parenting is as important as earning money.

Economic Success Clearinghouse, Healthy Marriage Page
TheEconomic Success Clearinghouse (formerly Welfare Information Network) disseminates current information about state and federal welfare policy and its effects on the American public. This page is dedicated to research around healthy marriages for low-income populations.

Center For Lobbying in the Public Interest
CLPI is the only organization whose focus is entirely on encouraging charities to understand the enormous importance of lobbying and speaking out on behalf of their constituents, causes and communities. This site details how nonprofit organizations can become involved in policy issues.