PAPA

Purpose and Scope of P.A.P.A. (Parenting and Paternity Awareness)

  • Primary Objective: The purpose of the P.A.P.A. program is to promote responsible parenting and encourage the development of strong families.

  • Core Questions: The session explores two fundamental questions:     * What is paternity?     * What is parenting?

Services of the Texas Office of the Attorney General (OAG)

  • Context for Services: The OAG provides a wide range of services when a child’s parents are divorced, separated, or were never married.

  • Specific OAG Services Provided:     * Locating a child’s absent parent.     * Identifying a biological father and establishing legal paternity.     * Establishing legal child support orders.     * Collecting and distributing child support payments.     * Enforcing the law against parents who fail to pay child support as ordered by the court.

Key Vocabulary and Definitions

  • Non-custodial Parent: The parent who does not have primary care, custody, or control of the child. This individual has a legal obligation to pay child support.

  • Custodial Parent: The person who has primary care, custody, and control of the children.

  • Biological Parent: A person who is the source of the sperm or egg needed to make a baby.

  • Caregiver: A person who takes care of a child and helps provide for its basic needs and safety at any given time. This role can involve multiple people (e.g., grandparents, relatives, or childcare providers).

Establishing Paternity and Fatherhood Categories

  • Establishing Paternity: The legal process of establishing that a certain man is the father of a particular child.

  • Biological Father: The man who provided the sperm to make the baby.

  • Alleged Father: A man named as the biological father, but whose paternity has not yet been legally established.

  • Presumed Father: A man who was married to the baby’s mother at the time of birth or within 300300 days of the baby’s birth.

  • Legal Father: A man who has signed an Acknowledge of Paternity (AOP) form or a man whom the court finds legally responsible for supporting the baby.

Child Support and Financial Income Definitions

  • Child Support: Regular payments of money that the non-custodial parent pays to take care of the child or children.

  • Gross Income: The actual salary or wages made before any taxes and mandatory deductions are taken out.

  • Net Income: Total earnings remaining after all taxes and mandatory deductions have been subtracted.

Child Support Calculation Guidelines

The state of Texas uses specific percentages of the non-custodial parent’s Net Income to determine child support amounts:

  • 11 Child: 20%20\% of Net Income.

  • 22 Children: 25%25\% of Net Income.

  • 33 Children: 30%30\% of Net Income.

  • 44 Children: 35%35\% of Net Income.

  • 55 or more Children: 40%40\% of Net Income.

Child Support Practice Scenarios

  • Scenario 1: You are a custodial parent with 22 children and make $20,000/year\$20,000/\text{year}. (Note: As the custodial parent, this individual typically receives support rather than paying it).

  • Scenario 2: You earn $100,000/year\$100,000/\text{year} and your 33 children live with their mother.     * Calculation based on guidelines: 30%30\% of net income would be paid to the custodial parent.

The Economic Cost of Parenting and Living Expenses

  • Essential Baby Items: Parents must account for the brand name, price, and quantity of the following:     * Disposable diapers (monthly supply).     * Infant formula.     * Car seats.     * Fully reclining, value strollers.

  • Full-time Child Care: Monthly costs must be factored into the budget.

  • Single Parent Monthly Cost of Living in Texas: These expenses for a custodial parent with one child include:     * Housing.     * Food.     * Childcare.     * Medical expenses.     * Transportation.     * Other necessities for the child.

Opportunity Costs and Financial Trade-offs

  • The "10001000 Extra" Scenario: Without a child, an individual might have an extra $1,000\$1,000 in their monthly budget. Potential purchases for comparison include:     * Movie tickets: $10\$10 each (Could buy 100100 tickets).     * Concert tickets: $50\$50 each (Could buy 2020 tickets).     * Fast food lunches: $5\$5 each (Could buy 200200 lunches).     * Cell phone: $800\$800 each.

Characteristics of Healthy Relationships

  • Goal: To inform individuals about the skills necessary for developing a healthy, stable marriage and effective communication in parenting.

  • Healthy Traits:     * Commitment.     * Trust.     * Fidelity.     * Acceptance.     * Lack of Violence.     * Communication.     * Friendship.

Negative Relationships and Relationship Violence

  • Relationship Violence: Defined as any harmful or unwanted act to a person by a spouse or a person they are dating that causes pain or injury.

  • Warning Signs of Abuse:     * Pressure to have sex.     * Extreme jealousy or being overly possessive.     * Isolating the partner from spending time with friends or family.     * Blaming alcohol or drugs for bad behavior.     * Threatening violence.     * Yelling at or swearing at the partner.

Conflict and Violence Intervention Strategies

  • For Yourself:     * Accept the fact that you cannot change the violent person.     * Seek help from a teacher, counselor, pastor, doctor, or parent.     * Contact the police or a local domestic violence center.

  • For Another Person:     * Listen without judging and respect their privacy.     * Refer the friend to a trusted adult or a domestic violence center.     * Call the police if you suspect the person is in immediate danger.

Overview of Parenting and Paternity Awareness (P.A.P.A.)

  • Definition of P.A.P.A.:     * P.A.P.A. stands for Parenting and Paternity Awareness.

  • Parental Roles:     * Non-custodial parent: This is the parent that the child does not mainly live with. This individual is usually responsible for paying child support.     * Custodial parent: This is the parent the child mainly lives with. This parent is responsible for providing most of the daily care for the child.

The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) Responsibilities

  • Core Responsibilities: The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) is the specific state agency tasked with:     * Establishing paternity.     * Enforcing child support orders.     * Helping parents obtain both child support and medical support.

  • Range of Child Support Services: The OAG provides the following specific services:     * Locating parents.     * Establishing legal paternity.     * Creating formal child support orders.     * Enforcing child support payments.     * Reviewing and modifying existing child support orders.

Legal Definitions and Classifications of Fatherhood

  • General Definitions:     * Biological Parent: A parent related to the child by blood.     * Caregiver: A person who takes care of a child. Examples include:         * Parent         * Grandparent         * Aunt         * Foster parent         * Babysitter     * Paternity: The legal identification of a child’s father.     * Acknowledgment of Paternity (AOP): A legal form signed by parents to establish who the father is.

  • Classifications of Fathers:     * Alleged Father: A man who is said to be the father but has not yet been legally proven to be the father.     * Legal Father: A man recognized by law as the child’s father.     * Biological Father: The man genetically related to the child.     * Presumed Father: A man the law assumes is the father, usually because he was married to the mother when the child was born.

Financial Responsibilities and Child Support Guidelines

  • Income Definitions:     * Gross Income: The total income earned before any taxes or deductions are taken out.     * Net Income: The income left over after taxes and deductions are taken out.

  • Child Support Fundamentals:     * Definition: Money paid by a parent to help provide for a child’s needs. These needs include food, clothing, housing, education, and healthcare.

  • Percentage of Child Support Paid: The percentage of child support paid is determined by the number of children (nn):     * For 11 child: 20%20\%     * For 22 children: 25%25\%     * For 33 children: 30%30\%     * For 44 children: 35%35\%     * For 55 (or more) children: 40%40\%

  • Costs Associated With Raising a Child: Total expenses include but are not limited to:     * Food     * Clothing     * Housing     * Healthcare     * Childcare     * School supplies     * Transportation     * Activities and entertainment

Characteristics and Importance of Healthy Relationships

  • Importance of Healthy Relationships: Healthy relationships are vital because they help people feel safe, respected, supported, and emotionally healthy.

  • Goal of Section 9: The objective for this section is to help students recognize both healthy and unhealthy relationships and empower them to make safe, responsible decisions.

  • Characteristics of a Healthy Relationship:     * Communication: Talking openly and listening to each other.     * Respect: Treating each other kindly and valuing opinions and boundaries.     * Trust: Being honest and dependable.     * Support: Encouraging each other emotionally and mentally.     * Equality: Both people share responsibility and decisions fairly.     * Boundaries: Respecting personal space, comfort levels, and limits.

Identifying Negative Relationships and Domestic Violence Safety

  • Relationship Violence: Defined as behavior used to control, hurt, or intimidate another person within a relationship.

  • Types of Abuse:     * Physical abuse: Hitting, pushing, or hurting someone physically.     * Emotional abuse: Insults, threats, manipulation, or controlling behavior.     * Verbal abuse: Name-calling or yelling.     * Sexual abuse: Any unwanted sexual behavior or pressure.     * Digital abuse: Using phones or social media to control or harass someone.

  • Signs of an Unhealthy Relationship:     * Extreme jealousy     * Constant arguing     * Controlling behavior     * Lack of trust     * Fear of the other person     * Pressure to do things you are uncomfortable with     * Isolation from friends or family

  • Steps to Take if in Danger:     * Tell a trusted adult.     * Call 911911 if there is immediate danger.     * Stay in a safe place.     * Reach out to counselors, teachers, or family members.     * Contact a domestic violence hotline or support organization.