The Parent Support Program works to empower non-custodial parents to find and maintain employment, increase child support payments, and build stronger relationships with their children.
The Parent Support Program Helps Repair Parent-Child Relationships: Notes from a Graduation in Brooklyn
The Parent Support Program (Parent Support) in partnership with the Human Resources Administration (HRA) Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) and the New York City Family Court, helps non-custodial parents meet their child support obligations and build stronger relationships with their children by linking participants with a range of employment services and other assistance, including job skills development, vocational training, case management, family life skills classes, continuing education and literacy classes, legal advice and representation, transportation assistance, and child care. Parent Support recognizes that the economic security and mobility of parents are intrinsically linked to their ability to remain connected to and safely care for their children.
Parent Support has consistently found that when its’ Resource Coordinators help parents address barriers to providing financial support, it often leads to increased and more meaningful contact between the parent and their children. For example, after they begin making support payments, parents often ask for assistance in filing a visitation petition or simply reach out to the other parent to arrange for informal visitation. In one case, a graduate of the program remarked that after he started meeting his support obligation, his relationship with the custodial parent improved so much that they were able to start attending parent-teacher conferences and engage in other co-parenting activities together.
The Center’s parent support programs have helped hundreds of parents reconnect with their children and make a meaningful contribution to their children’s development. Since 2011, the Parent Support Program has served approximately 1,825 non-custodial parents and contributed over $18.5 million dollars in child support payments.