The DadTalk blog features insights from dads and Responsible Fatherhood practitioners from around the country. Its goal is to start conversations about important issues surrounding fatherhood and programs for fathers today.
What would it take for a 34-year-old homeless, dual-diagnosed, twice incarcerated father of two who has battled alcoholism since his youth, to find hope and courage to reconnect with his kids, his family, and society? Well, one father we will…
Effective responsible fatherhood program practitioners are aware of the various circumstances that program participants may experience. Each father brings with him his own set of lived experiences and set of beliefs that shape the way he behaves as a father. Effective group programs are built on a foundation of trust that encourages self-reflection, personal sharing, peer support, and ongoing growth. A key part of building this foundation of trust and respect is conducting work with fathers in a culturally competent way.
Cultural competence is the capacity to work effectively in…
Fatherhood programs come in many shapes and sizes; some begin as demonstration or grant-funded programs, some as grassroots efforts, and others grow out of pre-existing organizations. Regardless of their origin or structure, launching fatherhood programs is not an easy task. Careful planning and design are important for ensuring success and sustainability throughout the life of a program. To this end, identifying needs, understanding the community, fostering solid partnerships, crafting a thoughtful logic model, and determining the scope of services are important design steps identified by…
Watching the benefits of a successful program partnership can be empowering. Knowing that working together benefits everyone involved is one thing, but witnessing different groups come together to achieve those goals is something special. While in Los Angeles, the NRFC team had the opportunity to take part in two very special events where the power of partnerships was on display.
This two-part series will feature the programs we were able to visit and the events we were privileged to be a part of.
Part Two: The Events…
To borrow from the British pop group The Beatles, we all get by with a little help from our friends. Fatherhood programs call them partners. Whatever the name, we are all stronger when we come together.
This January, the NRFC team had the opportunity to spend three days in Los Angeles seeing exceptional examples of what can happen for our communities and families when we partner and work together.
This two-part series will feature the programs we were able to visit and the events we were privileged to be a part of.
…Ed. Note: This highlight is part of a series entitled Highlights from the Field: Office of Family Assistance Programs at Work for American Families. Read the original posting here.
The Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Technical Assistance Team, in coordination with OFA, produced a series of videos containing participant interviews and scenes from facilitator-led sessions chronicling the positive changes associated with healthy…More than a decade has passed since the last such comprehensive review of the responsible fatherhood field and much has changed in the interim. The Center for Research on Fathers, Children and Family Well-Being, directed by Dr. Ronald Mincy at the Columbia University School of Social Work, is currently undertaking a survey to review and assess the current state of the field.
The purpose of the program survey is to better understand details about program operations, such as funding sources, types of services offered, target client populations…