About Fill the Gap Program
“Building Stronger Families for a Stronger Community”
Fill the Gap Program has been operating in southeast Louisiana since October 2003, acting as a link between Amite Region Child Support Enforcement Services, the Twenty-First Judicial District Court system, and non-custodial parents who are not meeting their child support obligations. Fill the Gap Program has successfully helped non-custodial parents gain a better understanding of child support enforcement and court system processes and expectations; find suitable full-time employment; build positive, productive relationships with their children and the custodial parent or guardian; and begin meeting their child support obligation voluntarily and consistently.
Fill the Gap Program operated on a totally volunteer basis until it received its first grant award from the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Support Enforcement in September 2006. This two-year Special Improvement Project (SIP) award provides funds to improve program operation and efficiency.
In May 2007 Fill the Gap Program received its second grant award, the National Fatherhood Initiative Capacity Building Grant award. This award provided intensive training sessions on building program capacity and also provided funding for activities that work toward building long-term sustainability for the program.
Today, Fill the Gap Program is expanding its services to not only work with dads who have a child support order, but to also work with moms who are single parents. The goal of this new program is to help moms recognize the important role dads’ play in the lives of their children and work towards developing positive, cooperative parenting relationships. The classes also cover other important issues such as building self-esteem and dealing with the feelings of rejection that children often experience when families separate.
In addition, Fill the Gap Program has expanded to offer nationally recognized healthy marriage classes to moms and dads who desire to build stronger relationships. These classes provide the skills and techniques that can result in healthier, happier, long-lasting relationships.
Fill the Gap Program is a part of Christian Community Council, a non-profit organization whose mission is to:
- Empower and encourage people to reach their full potential.
- Develop services that meet the needs of the community
- Develop leaders in the community and give them the opportunity to serve
- Develop partnerships with other community agencies with a desire to enhance the lives of the members of our community.