Bill > HB1948

This bill designates the month of June as "Fathership Month" in Missouri to encourage awareness of the importance of fathers' involvement in their children's lives, and establishes the "Missouri Fathership Project" within the department of social services. This project aims to boost fathers' self-esteem and awareness of their responsibilities, and empower them with life skills, family reunification support, education, career training, employment assistance, and help with child-support compliance. Additionally, it creates a "Missouri Fathership Project Grant Program" to fund agencies, programs, or nonprofit organizations that support father involvement, with these grant recipients using funds to hire "fathership project specialists." These specialists will act as one-on-one contacts for fathers, helping them reestablish relationships with their children by addressing challenges, navigating systems, serving as liaisons with state agencies and the court system, developing personalized plans, and providing guidance and resources to overcome barriers to reunification. The bill also outlines a process for court referrals and direct father requests for assistance from these specialists, and establishes a dedicated "Missouri Fathership Project Grant Fund" for these initiatives, with grant recipients required to submit annual reports on their progress and the department tasked with establishing performance metrics to measure the project's success.

Government Affairs, Health and Social Services

https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB1948&year=2026&code=R