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Date: Wednesday, June 26, 1996 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Michael Kharfen (202)401-9215
HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala today announced approval of the "Six Month Paternity Establishment Demonstration," a welfare demonstration project for Illinois. This is the fourth welfare waiver for Illinois and the 65th state demonstration approved under the Clinton Administration.
"Last week, President Clinton sent a clear message to mothers and fathers that they must be responsible for the children they bring into this world -- parents must support their children, not taxpayers," said Secretary Shalala. "Illinois is following the President's executive action by requiring stronger cooperation on the part of mothers to help the state establish the paternity of their children."
Under the demonstration, Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) recipients will be required to take more responsibility for helping the state establish paternity. New applicants and AFDC recipients who are having their cases reviewed or adding another child will be asked to provide more detailed information about the identity and location of the father of the child(ren). A signed statement that the mother does not know this information will no longer, by itself, be acceptable evidence of cooperation.
Acceptable cooperation can include providing the name and Social Security number of the father, or the name and at least two of the following: date of birth, address, telephone number, name and address of employer, names of parents, auto tag number, or other information that the state determines is likely to lead to the establishment of paternity. The state will develop criteria for determining cooperation in cases where the parent cannot reasonably be expected to know the identifying information of the child's father.
Failure to cooperate during the first six months after notification of the rules will result in current law sanctions: the elimination of the parent's portion of the AFDC grant and the adult's Medicaid coverage. After six months, if the parent still does not cooperate, or stops cooperating, the child's portion of the AFDC grant can be terminated, but the child's Medicaid coverage will continue.
"Both the President and Illinois are saying to mothers if you want our help, help identify and locate the father so he can be held accountable," said Mary Jo Bane, assistant secretary for children and families. "This demonstration is about making responsibility a way of life, not an option, in supporting children."
The demonstration will operate for five years and include a rigorous evaluation.