Dr Bernard Wh Jennings to Present Federal Good Dad Act Proposal at Congressional Briefing

Dr hc Bernard Wh Jennings, Good Dad Act Committee Chair

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Dr. Jennings’ recommendations arise from the work of the Good Dad Act Committee, reforming state laws affecting unmarried fathers legally establishing paternity

WASHINGTON DC, FL, UNITED STATES, November 11, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Dr. Bernard Wh Jennings, founder and chairman of the Good Dad Act Committee, will address a congressional briefing on Wednesday, November 18, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. in the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill.

The bipartisan briefing will bring together responsible-fatherhood advocates, public-policy leaders, members of Congress, congressional aides, and other stakeholders to discuss federal policies affecting fathers, children, and families.

Mark Ludwig is serving as the principal organizer of the briefing. Its a National Council For Equal Shared Parenting event "NCESP.org". Dr. Jennings will present the Federal Good Dad Act Family Engagement Proposal. Teddy Braswell will address the pass-through of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds; Molly Olson will discuss Title IV-D child-support reform; and Ron Henry will address the proposed establishment of an Office of Men’s Health.

Dr. Jennings’ recommendations arise from the work of the Good Dad Act Committee, which has focused on reforming state laws affecting unmarried fathers who have legally established paternity. Florida enacted Ethan’s Good Dad Act in 2023. The law clarified the legal status of an unmarried father who has established paternity and helped launch a broader national discussion about parental responsibility, parenting time, and the importance of fathers remaining meaningfully involved in their children’s lives.

At the November 18 briefing, Dr. Jennings will ask Congress to build upon these state-level efforts by modernizing the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and Title IV-D of the Social Security Act.

“The federal government has developed a powerful system for establishing paternity and enforcing the financial responsibilities of parenthood,” Dr. Jennings said. “Our request is that Congress also ensure that responsible parents receive clear information and a lawful pathway to understand and fulfill the broader responsibilities of parenthood.”

Federal Good Dad Act Family Engagement Amendment

Dr. Jennings will ask Congress to enact a bipartisan Federal Good Dad Act Family Engagement Amendment as part of TANF reauthorization or another appropriate Title IV-D legislative measure. The proposal contains three principal reforms.

Clear Information and Service Referrals

When a state establishes parentage or enters a child-support order through a federally supported program, both parents should receive a plain-language notice explaining that establishing parentage and child support does not necessarily establish custody, parenting time, or an enforceable parenting plan.
Parents should also receive state-specific information about requesting parenting time, custody, mediation, or other appropriate relief, along with referrals to affordable court-navigation, employment, responsible-fatherhood, and family-support services.

Increased Access and Visitation Funding

Dr. Jennings will ask Congress to increase funding for the federal Access and Visitation Grant Program under 42 U.S.C. § 669b from its current statutory level of $10 million to at least $50 million annually.

Expanded funding could support mediation, parenting-plan assistance, co-parenting education, supervised visitation when appropriate, legal information, employment assistance, and partnerships with qualified community-based fatherhood organizations.

Federal Accountability for Family Engagement

The proposal would require improved TANF and Title IV-D reporting on father and noncustodial-parent engagement. States would report the number of parents receiving notices and referrals, participation in mediation and parenting-plan services, and expenditures supporting responsible-fatherhood programs.

The proposal would measure access to services and completed referrals without requiring courts or families to reach a predetermined custody outcome.
“This is not a request for Congress to impose a national custody law or mandate automatic 50-50 parenting time,” Dr. Jennings said. “Custody and parenting-time decisions should remain with the states and should continue to be based upon the individual circumstances and best interests of each child.”
The proposal expressly preserves protections involving domestic violence, abuse, neglect, abandonment, and child safety. It calls for appropriate screening, confidentiality protections, and supervised services when warranted.
“This proposal can attract support from both political parties because it promotes parental responsibility, respects federalism, protects children, and strengthens families,” Dr. Jennings said. “Children deserve financial support, but they also benefit when safe, responsible, and committed parents are given an understandable pathway to remain present in their lives.”

The Good Dad Act Committee conducts weekly educational meetings involving fathers, mothers, attorneys, judges, mediators, counselors, and other professionals. The committee also works with advocates in multiple states to advance responsible-fatherhood education and appropriate family-law reforms.

The November 18 congressional briefing will give federal policymakers an opportunity to hear directly from advocates about how TANF and Title IV-D policies affect parents and children and how federal programs can better promote financial responsibility, family engagement, and long-term stability.

Event Information

What: Congressional Briefing on TANF, Title IV-D, and Responsible Fatherhood
Date: Wednesday, November 18, 2026
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Location: Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C.
Principal Organizer: Mark Ludwig

Media Contact

Good Dad Act Committee
Website: www.GoodDadAct.com
Email: GoodDad@GoodDadAct.com
Telephone: 786-486-7217

About the Good Dad Act Committee

The Good Dad Act Committee promotes responsible fatherhood, family-law education, and reforms that recognize the responsibilities of legally established fathers while protecting children and preserving individualized judicial review. Its work grew from the successful passage of Florida’s Ethan’s Good Dad Act and continues through weekly educational meetings, community outreach, and legislative advocacy across the United States.

Learn more: www.GoodDadAct.com | Book: www.EthansGoodDadAct.com
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Dr Bernard Wh Jennings
Good Dad Act Committee
GoodDad@GoodDadAct.com
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