The New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance today announced that more than $500,000 in federal funding has been awarded to six organizations to provide supervised visitation services to help noncustodial parents spend more time with their children, and to improve outcomes for children. The funding will be used to support Access and Visitation programs, designed to help separated and divorced families improve parenting skills, reduce conflict and establish or restore an environment to assist parents in fulfilling their responsibility to raise their children.
“Children raised in healthy, co-parenting families develop better life-coping skills and have a greater chance of success in becoming self-sufficient adults,” said Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Mike Hein. “These Access and Visitation programs provide vital services in a safe setting that can help participants meet their children’s needs, emotionally and financially.”
Services being provided include mediation, counseling, parent education, development of parenting plans, and assistance with monitoring or supervising visits with the children.
Nearly 40 percent of children are born out of wedlock in New York State, with most being raised in single-parent households. The ongoing emotional and financial needs of children in separated families can sometimes be overlooked if parents are in conflict over access to, and visitation with, the children, and over decisions regarding parental roles, including the payment of child support.
Recipients include the following organizations, the areas they serve and the amount of funding they will receive:Rochester Society for the Protection and Care of Children, Monroe County; $115,387; Catholic Charities of Buffalo, Erie, Niagara counties; $87,601; Child Care Coordinating Council of the North Country, Clinton, Essex, Franklin counties; $87,291; EAC, Inc., Suffolk County; $87,291; New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, New York City; $87,291; and Family Services, Inc., Dutchess County; $44,395.
Children benefit significantly when they have consistent emotional and financial support from both parents. Through access and visitation program services, separated parents can improve communication and co-parenting skills, increase a noncustodial parent’s time with his or her child, and have a positive influence on a child’s well-being and development.
Source: The New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance
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