PFS was one of the demonstration projects made possible by Section 1115 waivers to the rules in effect at the time for the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program. These Section 1115 waivers allowed states to test new approaches to advance the objectives of the AFDC program.
The PFS demonstration had the following four core components that reinforced one another: (1) peer support built around a curriculum called Responsible Fatherhood that informed fathers of their noncustodial rights and obligations; (2) employment and training activities, including job search assistance and opportunities for education and skills training, occupational training, and on-the-job training; (3) enhanced child support enforcement (CSE), which included steps to expedite the modification of child support awards or flexible rules to allow child support orders to be reduced during PFS participation; and (4) mediation services for parents to resolve their differences. Employment and case management services were also an important part of the PFS model to help participants develop goals and address barriers to participation.
PFS participants were noncustodial fathers who met the following criteria: (1) were underemployed or unemployed, (2) had children who received or had received AFDC, and (3) were behind on their child support payments for those children. The demonstration took place in seven urban sites across the United States: Springfield, MA; Trenton, NJ; Los Angeles, CA; Dayton, OH; Grand Rapids, MI; Jacksonville, FL; and Memphis, TN.
PFS aimed to increase child support payments, improve parenting and involvement, and increase the employment and earnings of unemployed, noncustodial parents of children receiving welfare.