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| Promoting Responsible Fatherhood | Federal Resource Site |
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Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee
Robert Richie
Program Manager
Child Support and Developmental Disabilities
Administration for Children and Families
Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center
61 Forsyth Street, SW, Suite 4M60
Atlanta, Georgia 30303-8909
Phone: 404-562-2958
Fax: 404-562-2985
Juan Gordon
Financial Operations Specialist
Head Start Branch
Administration for Children and Families
Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center
61 Forsyth Street, SW, Suite 4M60
Atlanta, Georgia 30303-8909
Phone: 404-562-2869
Fax: 404-562-2984
May 10-12, 2005, ACF Region IV hosted Framing the Future: A Fatherhood and Healthy Marriage Forum at the Winshape Retreat Center in Rome, Georgia. This discussion exploreed the challenges and opportunities in building a strong Fatherhood-Healthy Marriage partnership that can result in building stronger children, families and communities. Both the Fatherhood and Healthy Marriage Initiatives view improving child well-being as a mutual goal, and identifying efforts for collaboration may make a significant positive impact on the status of at-risk children throughout the nation and serve to educate and inform a wide spectrum of audiences.
Supplemental fatherhood funds were granted to 128 regional Head Start grantees who used the monies to support activities including field trips with children, Dad banquets, read-a-thons with children, Dad nights out with children, fishing trips, sporting events and family nights out among other activities. Details of ongoing activities are associated with each State below. Male involvement programs in the region included 21,204 fathers and 10,172 children.
Access and Visitation. The grant, administered by the Alabama Administrative Office of Courts (AOC), has provided divorce mediation and child issues and parenting plan mediation training for Judicial Volunteer Program coordinators in four judicial circuits in Alabama. This enables coordinators to train citizen volunteers to mediate visitation issues and to assist with development of visitation parenting plans with parents before they go to court. In an effort to work with the Alabama Fatherhood Initiative, the AOC has developed two workbooks, one for parents and one for children. Both workbooks are designed to encourage divorced or never-married parents and their children to work together to facilitate communication between them and to explain good ways to handle living apart. Contact David Williams of the AOC at (334) 242-0333.
TANF. The Alabama Fatherhood Initiative (AFI) is a statewide network of many agencies and organizations working together to provide programs and services to help non-custodial parents financially support their children and have greater and more constructive involvement in the lives of their children. A statewide Fatherhood Coordinator, funded with TANF dollars, is housed in the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) Family Assistance Division.
The Children's Trust Fund of Alabama, in partnership with the State Department of Human Resources, has funded 32 fatherhood programs throughout the State of Alabama. DHR funding comes from TANF. Programs continue to target several areas:
Three colleges in the Alabama College System have ongoing fatherhood initiatives using the skills based, short-term training model developed jointly by the Alabama Department of Human Resources, Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education and the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs. This model provides for a case manager to be present in Child Support Court to serve non-custodial parents who are either unemployed or underemployed and not paying their support. Child Support judges are typically ordering non-paying parents to participate in these services. Case managers report back to the judges regarding parents’ participation. Gadsden State Community College, with campuses in Gadsden and Anniston serves both Etowah and Calhoun Counties. Calhoun Community College in Decatur serves Morgan County and some non-custodial parents in Limestone County. Southern Union Community College provides training and employment services for Lee County parents. Most recent numbers for these programs indicate a total of 425 individuals served which resulted in a child support collections total of $485,999.
In addition, TANF funds are used to fund small community-based grants to provide employment and training services as well as some fatherhood support groups.
The Alabama Fatherhood Resource Directory was first published to pull together information on all of the fatherhood programs across the State so that non-custodial parents can find the services they need in their local communities.
Partnering with the Alabama Fatherhood Initiative and faith and community organizations, the National Initiative for Human Development was instrumental in convening the first Alabama Fatherhood Conference in June 2004. A state fatherhood conference is now an annual event in Alabama with the next conference scheduled for May 3-5, 2006. State Contact: Martha Cantrell at (256) 340-5996.
HEAD START
The OCAP program, in Troy, Alabama has made a vital impact in the community through its Family Sports event, group basketball. The program conducted a father involvement team building and needs session and allowed the fathers and the community to design an events program. The events have been a great success with local officials and businesses supporting this family effort. The impact has been that over 75 fathers are now actively involved and the overall community has recognized the need for male involvement in the lives of their children. An effort is currently being made to market the sporting events in an effort to obtain sponsorship for future events.
Child Support Enforcement: The Orlando, Florida, Child Support Enforcement office, working with the Orange County Corrections Department, the judiciary of the Ninth Judicial Circuit, Orange County Workforce Development, Orange County Probation, Orange County Legal Aid, Headstart, Healthy Families, DCF, and several community partners, implemented an educational and outreach project that targets incarcerated and formerly incarcerated non- custodial parents. The program is entitled Low-Income Non-custodial Parent Outreach Service (LINOS). The Orlando CSE Service Center has three designated staff members that meet weekly with the inmates. CSE staff had to gain the inmates trust to change the NCP's perception that CSE was interested only in putting them in jail. The Orlando CSE staff was very successful in making it clear to inmates that CSE was there to educate them about CS issues so they could make informed decisions when they left the jail environment. Only 20 inmates attended CSE's first session; as of 03/23/06, 2,320 inmates had received the LINOS presentation and an unknown number of non-custodial parents had received the program’s child support and other services information without actually enrolling in the program.
The LINOS brochure contains information on all the service providers and telephone numbers. The brochure and large LINOS posters are displayed in CSE service center lobbies, the courthouse, the jail, and many other community partners distribute the LINOS brochure and display the poster. CSE tracks enrollees in the LINOS program on payment history, scheduled appointments with community partners and job referral information. There is a designated DOR CSE LINOS liaison for NCPs to contact once released from jail. The LINOS program is a good example that improving relationships with NCPs, establishing strong community partner networks, and innovative actions result in a winning combination for all, especially for children and families.
Contact:
David Gillen
Revenue Service Center Manager
Florida Department of Revenue
Child Support Enforcement
400 West Robinson Street
Hurston South Tower, Suite S609
Orlando, FL 32801-1782
407-245-0103
The Florida Fatherhood Coalition will be sponsoring a conference (dates as yet undetermined) under Governor Bush's Fatherhood Initiative.
(State of) Georgia Fatherhood Initiative
Scott Stapleton, Manager
P.O. Box 1427
360 Bay Street, Suite 300
Augusta, Georgia 30903
Phone: 706-721-7139
Fax: 706-721-7151
Email: scottstapleton @ dhr.state.ga.us
Head Start and Child Support — In the last of four Parent-Mentor events in Region IV, NCFL and Head Start parents met in Atlanta for a great weekend of training and discussion of fatherhood ideas.
During the closing session on Sunday, remarks by several participants attested to the positive, effective efforts made. One father said, "A lot of times men don't feel like they can really talk or express themselves in groups like this. But I think we all opened up and connected this weekend. Our trainers made us feel like it was okay to be ourselves and they showed me how important I really am to my kids. I think we all realized we are in this together...we got to help each other out."
Another Dad said, "I am a changed man. I am going to be a better Dad now. You got to tell somebody up there who makes the decisions that we need more of this kind of stuff for parents. I am so glad I took this chance and gave it a try." Many similar comments assured that wonderful things happened and the hard work putting it together was worth the effort.
Sunflower Humphrey's Counties Progress, Inc. Fatherhood Initiative: Activities include Dad's Day with Kids; Boys to Men Fatherhood Conference; Character Building: What I Think About Me; Sporting Events; Breakfast with Dad; Art in a Suitcase (dad's and kids participate in art, music, poetry, dancing and other activities)
Yazoo City Community Action Agency Head Start:
Washingon County Head Start:
Access and Visitation. The State has awarded grant funds to four Family Court Districts to facilitate access and visitation by non-custodial parents with their children. Counties funded to operate programs are Cumberland, Durham, Halifax, Anson, Richmond, Stanly, Union, and Buncombe. A smaller amount of funds was also allocated to the Wake County Human Service Working for Kids program. Program services include supervised visitation, mediation, counseling, legal clinics, job skills/educational training, development of parenting plans, and substance abuse and mental health services.
Head Start. The Operation Breakthrough program started the “Proud Fathers’ Club” which holds monthly events in which fathers interact with the Head Start children. In collaboration with Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, the club has initiated the 3 Rs program for Reading, Writing and Arithmetic where fathers and children play games involving these subjects and enhancing classroom curriculum. During their holiday celebration, a winter wonderland was created centering upon trees, holiday stories, and family relationships.
Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina Fatherhood Initiative. The Sisters of Charity Foundation provides grant funds, technical assistance and other resources for community and faith-based groups, organizations and other non-profits whose efforts address the fundamental causes of poverty in South Carolina. The Foundation has embarked on a statewide Fatherhood Initiative to strengthen the role of fathers and fragile families in the state. They have information and resources available to the community on the importance of fathers in families, the impact of absent fathers, and other fatherhood programs.
The Sisters of Charity Foundation and SC Center for Fathers and Families currently fund 10 fatherhood programs at 12 sites in the state including community based, alternatives to incarceration, and prison based programs. A large proportion of funding for the fatherhood programs comes from the SC Department of Social Services (DSS), primarily TANF money. The SC Center for Fathers and Families was founded in 2002 by the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina. Its mission is to develop and support a statewide infrastructure to strengthen relationships between fathers and families. The Center provides resources, leadership and education to fatherhood programs associated with the Fatherhood Initiative. The South Carolina Fatherhood Practitioners Network, Inc. was founded to foster communication, professional development, education, and collaboration among service providers. The Network has conducted several practitioner conferences in the State. For more information, contact Patricia Littlejohn at (803) 254-0230
Access and Visitation. The Child Support Enforcement Division (CSED) has initiated a pilot project called Visitation Involvement Parenting (VIP), in which the CSED provides mediation services for the parents to establish a plan for access and visitation so that the child will have the benefit of both parents taking an active role in their life. The VIP Program also provides employment and training services for the non-custodial parent so that he/she can adequately provide financial support for the child and the VIP Program will provide instruction to both parents on how to request help from the Family Court to enforce the visitation order. This program is available in four counties. In order for the VIP Program to be available, both parents must live in one of the counties or the non-custodial parent must live in one of these counties and the custodial parent must agree to travel to the county where the non-custodial parent lives for any classes or mediation sessions. For more information contact Linda Cook at (803) 898-9350.
Access and Visitation. The Tennessee program provides pro se initiatives intended to address the needs of divorced, unwed, and never married parents, emphasizing parenting time issues of non-custodial parents. Areas in the State providing services are Memphis, Clinton, Knoxville, Clarksville, Cookeville, Scotts Hill, Columbia and Jacksboro, Tennessee.
A Special Improvement Project in Shelby County (Memphis) provides in part, training for county Child Support workers regarding the benefits of improved relationships and marriage and the identification of members of their caseload who might represent an appropriate audience for marriage promotion discussions.
Alabama
Dothan City Schools Head Start Preschool Center
Father Read: NAEYC; with community leaders and Kiwanis club members; Fatherhood Breakfast: Ministerial alliance; City Council; Family Reading Day
Mobile Community Action, Inc.
The agency has collaborated with Mobile County Public Schools, where readers work with male involvement participants on improving reading skills; Local Massage Therapy businesses provided massages to participants; Local radio stations provided prize give-aways; Mississippi Head Start Association, where participants competed in a basketball tournament. Five of twelve parent center committees’ chairpersons are fathers. Two fathers attended the National Head Start Institute on Father Involvement.
Georgia
YMCA/Early Childhood Development Co., LLC
“Meet the Falcons Day”
YMCA ECDC HEAD Start – Fatherhood Initiative - Fall Men’s Conference – “Adam Where Are You? The lead Fatherhood staff participated in the Building Blocks for Successful Fatherhood Program at the National Head Start Training Conference
Florida
Miami-Dade Community Action Agency
Special collaborations were established to include CDL Driving School, Miami Dade CAA Foundation and NFL All Pro Dads. The transportation initiative provided three (3) fathers with improved skills, knowledge and hands-on internship as bus monitors for HS/EHS. The initiative was implemented in a two (2) phase process that included: Internship with CAA Transportation Services as a bus monitor. Phase two: Fathers attended the CDL School Inc. for skills and written exam preparation including the Florida State Road Test. The program assisted the fathers with background screening, First Aid/CPR Training and Customer Service. As a part of the annual Pre-service Training conference “Building blocks for Father Involvement: training was presented.
Kentucky
Bourbon County Pre-school Head Start
Since attending the fatherhood initiative conference two years ago in Dallas, Texas, Bourbon county Preschool Head Start ‘s fatherhood program has grown tremendously. The first fatherhood activity “Dads Day Out” with over 200 fathers attending. Bourbon county Preschool Head Start has placed a major focus on staff training to work with fathers. Literature and packets with fatherhood activities are made available to all staff. In addition; collaboration with the Bourbon County Extension agency provides activities for fathers such as “Desserts for Dads”. The children made desserts for fathers; over 100 dads were in attendance.
Audubon
Project titled “Father Factor”: Promoting a Male Friendly. Environment. The implementation process included training for staff on including fathers in the program. Visual materials (posters) distributed and displayed at each site exhibiting males in a positive manner. A Father Factor Fair was implemented in each county. The total attendance for all of the Father Factor Fairs was 610 and from this total 228 were fathers or father figures.
Jefferson County Public Schools Head Start/Early Head Start Program
Jefferson County has strong support of the Fatherhood/Male Initiative programs from Dr. Stephen Daeschner, Superintendent and a core group of Fatherhood Male/Initiative members and staff. The implementation of the “Building Blocks for Father Involvement Model’s” strategies contributed to the success of the program. One of our successes is a single father raising five children from ages fifteen to eight, volunteers in Head Start classrooms, serves as an ambassador on the policy council; member of the Fatherhood Male/Initiative Core Group and chair of the Program Design and Management advisory committee. He received the Ann Phipps Scholarship at the State and Regional levels and went on to be awarded the National Ann Phipps Scholarship award in Los Angeles CA.
Mississippi
Yazoo City – The program conducted several activities during the past 12 months. These activities were geared toward increasing male involvement. Activities included Fathers’ Story Time, Donuts for Dads, Men’s Health Fair, Fathers of the Month/Year, and job readiness training. The training seminar “Seven Secrets of Effective Fathers” was also conducted.
Partnerships were developed with the local WIN Job Center, the Police and Sheriff’s Departments, local school districts, the American Legion, the Yazoo City Fire Department and several civic organizations. These agencies assisted with training, education, and in a variety of other areas.
Sunflower Humphrey — The agency focused upon increasing father’s participation in a broader range of activities during the year and that focus paid off with a greater number of fathers involved in the Policy Council, Parent Committee groups, field trips with the children, Dad’s Day Out, Parent-Mentor training, Jobs for Dads and fundraising activities.
The agency also increased its partnering activities in the local community, collaborating with the local Child Support Enforcement agency, the Youth Court, the Police Department as well as surrounding retailers such as the New Deal Grocery, the Sunflower Food Store and Wal-Mart.
Washington County Opportunities — The agency supports fatherhood efforts with activities which include breakfasts for fathers and mothers with a program on family relationship skills, fathers and children participating in the Greenville Christmas Parade and Martin Luther King Parade sponsored by the 100 Black Men of the Delta, fathers and children attending Alcorn State University baseball games, literacy training at Delta State University, participating as guest speakers at Adopt-a-School ceremonies and sponsoring family style picnics.
North Carolina
Macon Program for Progress — The agency uses the 24/7 Dad information and provides meals, child care, door prizes and other activities for the males and fathers who attend training. The agency employs two male family advocates who speak Spanish, an advantage in training the groups, which include many Hispanic males. Other activities included families enjoying Thanksgiving meals at the centers, Fun for Fathers activities, fathers/males and children developed family scrapbooks and, at Christmas, fathers and children completed handprints together as gifts for the mothers. Literacy is focused upon at all events, with the literacy specialist reading stories with fathers and children to support partnering and role playing.
Economic Improvement Council, Edenton — The program has emphasized the significance of fathers participating in the education of their children. A “Ten Ways to be a Special Dad (Or Other Important Man in a Child’s Life) list was distributed to parents and fathers are encouraged to volunteer in classroom and recess activities. The agency also held a Fathers’ Night in which fathers were given the opportunity to communicate effectively with their children, a reading project, in which fathers visited classrooms and read stories, a Father/Child Olympics Day with fathers engaging in various sports with their children. Olympic gifts and ribbons were given to each participant. A Fatherhood Banquet was also held with fifty fathers attending.
Chapel Hill Training and Outreach Project – The agency held Dad’s Day to Play activities, inviting fathers on regularly scheduled days each month, fatherhood luncheons in the classrooms, a Winter Festival, Fathers’ Talent day where fathers share their skills, and reading backpacks in which children sign out a backpack with books to be shared with their Dads.
Four County Community Services -- The agency is partnering with local faith-based institutions, the Southeastern Job Link Center, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, the cooperative extension services in Bladen, Columbus, Scotland, Robeson, Brunswick and Hoke, family literacy agencies, the Men Mentoring Men program and Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. Training is conducted at each center on various topics with representatives from these agencies speaking and serving as resources for the fathers.
The agency held Fatherhood Spring and Winter forums, fatherhood advisory and policy council meetings and participated in activities at the centers which included Pictures with Dad, Fathers reading day, Donuts with Dad, a fatherhood picnic and the Father of the Month.
South Carolina
Fourteen Grantees honored fathers during the annual HS Awareness Celebration at Finley Park, Columbia SC
Tennessee
Tennessee State University Early Head Start
Fathers and other role models involved in “Come Read to Me”. The TN CARES EHS Basketball team (comprised of dads) competed against other community basketball teams TN CARES EHS DADS WON!! This was partnership with the local Community Resource Program with other league teams. Parent Fair-TN CARES presented a Parent Fair that with sessions designed for dads/males. Classroom subs-- currently the program has male volunteers serving as substitute teachers.
Last Revised: June 9, 2006
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