Family Violence Protocol Development for TANF and Child Support Agencies

This paper provides detailed guidance on developing family violence protocols within welfare settings. It is written to assist domestic violence advocates and state administrators implementing Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunities Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA). The paper's sections focus on: the need for collaborations between Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Child Support Enforcement(CSE), and community domestic violence agencies when doing protocol development; the essential elements of a family violence protocol including effective TANF/CSE program responses to domestic violence disclosure; what is safe enforcement of child support measures when family violence may be a risk; some general safety considerations; and finally, a summary of important elements for a family violence protocol.

This paper is produced by the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence as one of a series of complementary papers for the Welfare and Domestic Violence Technical Assistance Initiative; it specifically complements the first practice paper entitled,"Building Opportunities For Battered Women's Safety And Self-Sufficiency."