State of Alabama in FY 2008 Accepts $142,379.00 in Federal Funding, but Develops only 26 Parenting Plans. Where is the Money?

Editor note: FY 2008 are the latest complete numbers available for this report.

2 Dec 11 - In a previous post we outlined how the state of Alabama is expending federal tax dollars. For example we reported the U.S. Health and Human Services data supplied by the Alabama Department of Human Resources show only 677 parents and 695 children were involved in the Alabama Access and Visitation Programs for FY 2008.

Further, the government data shows only 217 divorced parents and 246 unmarried parents were served.

Out of these numbers the services provided accounted for only 165 mediation services, 7 Counseling services, 117 Parent Education, 250 Supervised Visitation, 37 Neutral Drop-off sites, and only 26 parenting plans developed.

Remember the federal government is providing Alabama grant funding awards with intent to promote two parents active in a child's life. This Alabama is not honoring.

It is the Alabama judiciary that needs educating regarding two parent involvement in a child's life.

The question asked and unanswered: Why are there 1,577,765 persons subject to child custody judgments in the state of Alabama and only 26 parenting plans implemented.

The state of Alabama is accepting millions of dollars in federal funding. However the state is not requiring DHR or the Judiciary to support or honor the mandates required for the state of Alabama to accept federal Title IV-D funding.

Below is the official data from the U.S. Health and Human Services and the Alabama Department of Human Resources.

Published data about the numbers of Parents and Children subject to State Child custody court orders is in the annual report of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Support Enforcement FY 2008 and FY 2009 Preliminary Report. [1]

The State-submitted reports are furnished as part of the process by which the States qualify for Federal money payments to the States known as “performance incentive payments.”

Each State receives payment from an incentive payment pool of federal money which increases every year.

For fiscal year 2008 the incentive payment pool was $483,000,000.00.

In fiscal year 2009 the incentive payment pool was $509,000,000.00.

PERSONS SUBJECT TO CHILD CUSTODY ORDERS

ESTIMATED NUMBER OF CHILDREN, PARENTS AND OTHERS SUBJECT TO CHILD CUSTODY ORDERS IN ALABAMA

Assuming that eighty-five to ninety percent[14] of Child custody determinations are based upon the judicial operation of the “80 day rule” (standard visitation) local pattern and practice, such orders would have a direct and substantial impact upon the lives of 1,341,100 Alabama Children, Parents and Others subject to Child custody court orders in Alabama.

Citations:

[1] http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/pubs/2009/reports/preliminary_report_fy2008/

[2] Total FY 2009 data was not complete as of publication.

[3] http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/pubs/2009/reports/preliminary_report_fy2008/#figure12

[4] http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/

pubs/2009/reports/preliminary_report_fy2008/state.html#

[5] 17 million nationwide caseload x 1.4%,     http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/

pubs/2009/reports/preliminary_report_fy2008/#figure2

[6] The total number of children in the Title IV-D caseload in FY 2004-2008 remained relatively constant at 17 million.

[7] The Alabama caseload is 1.4% same as the nationwide caseload.

[8] Twice the number of children nationwide.

[9] Twice the number of children in Alabama.

[10] The sum of 17 million children, plus 34 million of parents nationwide.

[11] The sum of 315,613 children, plus 631,226 parents in Alabama.

[12] The sum of 17 million children, plus 34 million parents, plus 34 million others nationwide.

[13] The sum of 315,613 children, plus 631,226 parents, plus 631,226 others in Alabama.

[14] Bureau of the U.S. Census; Also see, Taken in to Custody, at page 35, by Stephen Baskerville, PhD., March 2007.

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