Welfare Reform on the Web (May 2006): Child Welfare - Overseas

In the name of the father, the child and the holy genes: constructions of the child’s best interests in legal disputes over contact

M.H. Ottosen

Acta Sociologica, vol.49, 2006, p.29-46

Family law has become the main instrument through which the welfare state regulates domestic relationships. This article looks at how the welfare state in Denmark, via the family legal system, defines the “child’s best interests” in cases where the judicial authority acts as decision-maker regarding contact between children and their non-resident parent.

Through the eyes of a father: how PRWORA affects non-resident fathers and their children

M. K. Miller

International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family, vol.29, 2006, p.55-73

Under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, US Congress has passed laws which pressure non-resident fathers into paying child support through strict sanctions for defaulting. However, these laws do not help fathers overcome barriers to payment such as unemployment. Nor do they help fathers gain access to their children, which, according to research, encourages payment. Article recommends that the federal government should encourage non-resident fathers to provide emotional support and developmental guidance for their children through father involvement programmes.