Special Improvements Project (SIP Grant)

Project Summary Abstract

Key Foundations , Refined By Fire Ministries, Inc. (RBF), Dixon

Correctional Institute (DCI) and The Louisiana Department of Support Enforcement Services (SES) are

involved in a collaborative pilot project that provides healthy marriage education and child support services to

underserved ethnically diverse non-married, custodial and non-custodial parents. This project targets inmates at

DCI who are less than a year from release and will be returning to metropolitan Baton Rouge, the capital city of

Louisiana.  The overall goals of the project “Marriages That Matter” is to ensure that the children of these

prisoners receive the support necessary for healthy development by strengthening the relationship between their

parents and increasing the emotional and financial involvement of custodial and non-custodial parents in the lives

of their children.  

Many unwed parents face barriers that hinder involvement with their children, such as lack of  knowledge about the importance of family stability, marriage and child support to child well being.   They often are in need of healthy relationship and parenting skills that strengthen the family structure, but do not have access to programs that promote family formation.  Child support obligations do not stop when a parent becomes incarcerated, and even though most inmates have little or no income, they also usually owe substantial amounts of money for past due support, interest charges and penalties.  Upon release from prison,  paroled parents who become employed face aggressive child support enforcement actions such as garnishment of wages and seizure of assets that may drive them away from their families and legitimate employment.  

To achieve project goals, healthy marriage education and child support services will be provided by Key Foundations, RBF and SES to 90-120prisoners in Dixon Correctional’s re-entry program.  Prisoners and their families will be referred before and after release to Key Foundations ’s faith-based Family Resource Center and other community-based programs.   This program will give parents an opportunity to build and maintain healthy marriages and healthy emotional relationships with their children as well as establish a positive relationship with child support enforcement that will enhance their children’s financial well being.