Office of Family Assistance
Promoting Responsible Fatherhood

Allowable Activities: Healthy Marriage - skill-based marriage education (#1); relationship skill education (#5); and education regarding how to control aggressive behavior (#7). The responsible parenting components include: skill-based parenting education (#1); disseminating parenting practices information (#2); and disseminating information on the causes of domestic violence and child abuse (#4). The economic stability components include: helping fathers improve their economic status by providing job search, job training, subsidized employment, and career advancement education (#1).

Organizational Description: The Connecticut Department of Social Services is a state agency that provides a range of services to families, the elderly, the disabled, and individuals who need assistance in maintaining or achieve their full potential for independent living and self reliance. Programs that meet basic needs including food, shelter, economic support, and health care are administered through eleven offices located throughout the State.

Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: ACF funds will be used to increase: knowledge about marriage healthy relationships; effective communication skills between partners and/or parents; knowledge about conflict resolution; commitment to healthy marriage/relationships and/or co-parenting; financial literacy and budgeting skills; working income; child support payments; and ability to secure and retain employment. The following curricula will be used to support project activities: Exploring Relationships and Marriage with Fragile Families; and 24/7 Dad (AM).

Office of Family Assistance
Promoting Responsible Fatherhood

Allowable Activities: Responsible Parenting- skill-based parenting (#1); counseling and mentoring (#3).

Organizational Description: The Village for Families & Children, Inc. is a private, non-profit community service agency founded in 1809 committed to the mission of building a community of strong, healthy families who protect and nurture children.

Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: Funds will address: lack of paternal involvement with children; parenting skills; need for role models; and prevention services for youth to delay early fatherhood which include intensive case management. The project has two facets: 1) intervention services that include fatherhood skill development groups, case management, and mentoring for young men who are fathers or expectant fathers typically between the ages of 17 and 25; and 2) prevention services that include male mentoring and character development for youth aged 7 to 17. The project will serve a minimum of 60 fathers and 50 male youth per year.

Office of Family Assistance
Promoting Responsible Fatherhood Grant

Allowable Activity: Responsible Parenting - skill-based parenting education (#1); disseminating parenting practices information (#2); counseling, mentoring, and mediation (#3); disseminating information on the causes of domestic violence and child abuse (#4); and encouraging child support activities (#5).

Organization Description: Since 1965, YCCAC has provided a full range of social service, health and educational programs to low-income individuals and families in York County, Maine. Major programs include Head Start/Early Head Start; WIC; regional transportation services; the homebuyer education program; outreach services, affordable housing rental and the Spruce Street Health Center, which provides medical, dental and behavioral health services regardless of a persons’ ability to pay. The project is a collaborative with several agencies, including the Child Abuse Prevention Council, Caring Unlimited, Maine Boys to Men, Parent Resource Center, Community Mentoring, Tim Deitz Associates (media campaign) and the Unitarian Universalist Church.

Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: The project will develop and implement a course focused on healthy interpersonal relationships and the practice of non-violence, targeted to middle/high school males. A Mentors Program will be initiated for fathers who are delinquent in child support payments coordinated by faith-based communities and civic organizations. A media campaign, including PSA’s, an interactive web site and a DVD will be developed that focuses on responsible fatherhood/non-violence.

Office of Family Assistance
Promoting Responsible Fatherhood

Allowable Activity Areas: Healthy Marriage - Skill-based marriage education (#1); Enhancing relationship skills (#5); Counseling, mentoring, benefits to children (#6); Controlling aggressive behavior (#7); Responsible Parenting - Skills-based parenting (#1); Good parenting practices (#2); Counseling, mentoring and mediation (#3); Domestic Violence and child abuse (#4).

Organization Description: Child and Family Services is an independent, nonprofit agency whose mission is to advance the well being of children by providing an array of social services to strengthen family life, and by promoting community commitment to the needs of children. CFS is the oldest children’s charitable organization in the state with over 154 years of experience serving New Hampshire’s children, youth and families.

Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: The principle objective of this project is to provide a continuum of services that enhance the inmates’ participation in their families’ lives as responsible partners and parents, both during incarceration and after release, thereby promoting increased family stability and positive outcomes for children. The project builds on existing and successful responsible fatherhood programs in two New Hampshire men’s prisons (NH State Prison for Men [Concord, NH] and Lakes Region Facility [Laconia, NH]), and introduces relationship/marriage-strengthening components to both. The activities offered by this project in support of the principle objective is as follows: 1) At least 240 inmates and their partners will participate (yearly) in the PREP program; 2) At least 200 inmates per year will participate in parenting programs (Long Distance Dads and/or Family Connections); and 3) At least 60 sets of parents per year will participate in the Family Re-Entry Program. Finally, the secondary objective of the project is to expand the availability of marital/relationship and parenting skills education to inmates at all New Hampshire men’s prisons on a permanent basis.

Office of Family Assistance
Promoting Responsible Fatherhood

Allowable Activity: Responsible Parenting - skill-based parenting education (#1); disseminating parenting practices information (#2); counseling, mentoring, and mediation (#3); disseminating information on the causes of domestic violence and child abuse (#4); and encouraging child support activities (#5).

Organization Description: Children’s Friend is the oldest social service agency in Rhode Island; its services include family counseling, parent education, Early Intervention, technical assistance and training for childcare professionals, Early Head Start, Early Start and a variety of family support and family preservation programs. In 2005, 16,616 individuals received services from the agency.

Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: The mission of the Father Involvement Initiative is “to support and empower fathers to become a nurturing force in children’s lives.” Two bilingual father involvement specialists will be hired to develop, in conjunction with the participant, child development and parenting goals and facilitate father support groups (which include father-child socialization activities as well as discussions with other fathers in mutual areas of interest such as employment, communication and anger management). Specialized groups dealing with areas such as alcohol/substance abuse will also be available.

Office of Family Assistance
Promoting Responsible Fatherhood

Allowable Activity: Responsible Parenting - skill-based parenting education (#1); disseminating parenting practices information (#2); counseling, mentoring, and mediation (#3); disseminating information on the causes of domestic violence and child abuse (#4); and encouraging child support activities (#5).

Organization Description: The VNA is a 100 year-old nonprofit home health agency which serves over 4,600 clients and families each year. It provides medically necessary home and community-based care, regardless of the ability to pay; in 2005, services totaled $1.7 million. Its FACT (Fathers And Children Together) program provides home visits, parent education and support programs, professional development, service coordination and public awareness activities.

Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: The proposal is a joint initiative with the Winooski Family Center, Milton Family Center, Champlain Islands Parent-Child Center and the KidSafe Collaborative to replicate VNA’s successful FACT program in Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties. 65 low-income fathers and their young children will receive home visits and support groups, 30 fathers will receive parent education classes, 25 at-risk fathers will be referred to appropriate fatherhood activities and 30 fathers will receive culturally-specific outreach, for an unduplicated count of 150 interventions. 30 professionals will be trained in fatherhood issues and 1200 fathers/community-at-large will gain information on the importance of father’s in their children’s lives.