Along with over 500 fathers and children, my children and I recently had the privilege of attending the All Pro Dad’s Baltimore All Pro Dad Father and Kids Experience at M&T Bank Stadium. At the event, Super Bowl Champion Matt Stover spoke very personally about the importance of being a father. My kids enjoyed plenty of fun games and getting their faces painted by clowns who made them balloon animals. I was profoundly touched by the activities centered on practical fatherhood tips and techniques. Through a variety of different football drills, games, and “fatherhood stations,” I was excited to be able to connect with my children in a new way.
Matt Stover, former Baltimore Raven Placekicker along with Eugene Schneeberg, Director of the Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the Department of Justice with his daughter Genesis and son Eugene .
One of the “fatherhood stations” focused on the importance of Dad’s telling their children that they love them and that they are proud of them. At another station we practiced handing the ball off to each other and scoring a touchdown. After the touchdown, we celebrated by doing a silly dance and giving each other big hugs like NFL players do when they score a touchdown. The facilitator at that station stressed the importance of having fun, being affectionate and hugging your children.
My favorite station was when we were asked to come up with a secret hand sign like those between a quarterback and coach that only my children and I would know. Then, we used that signal to tell each other “I love you.” My six year old son jumped right to it and came up with a great sign. My family and I continue to do our special secret hand signal to this day.
My fathering skills went to another level that day! All Pro Dad is one of many great Fatherhood organizations whose work is right in line with the President’s Fatherhood & Mentoring Initiative.
For more information about All Pro Dad visit: www.AllProDad.com
Eugene Schneeberg is the Director of the Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the Department of Justice.
Fathers, uncles, male mentors, grandfathers, brothers, and community leaders recently gathered at the Café at Chicago Vocational Career Academy in Chicago, IL to share what men can do to increase their involvement and support in the lives of their children—especially their education.
The Department of Education (ED) was honored to sponsor the event alongside other federal agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services as well as father serving organizations such as Black Star Project, Watch D.O.G.S., the Illinois Fatherhood Initiative and Real Men Charities.
Participants at the Roundtable, Café at Chicago Vocational Career Academy in Chicago, IL
Approximately 45 men attended from multiple ethnic and cultural backgrounds. A panel of fathers and experts shared their experiences and research that affirmed the positive role of fathers in the lives of their children. Panelist Dexter Chaney, one of ED's Teaching Ambassador Fellows and a Chicago assistant principal, explained a principal's perspective on parental involvement. In his remarks, he linked parental involvement to ED's efforts to motivate parents to be partners in their children's learning. Other panelist included
- Kenith Bergeron, U.S. Department of Justice;
- Norris Stevenson, IL Department of Healthcare and Family Services;
- Elliot Mark, Family Resource Center on Disabilities;
- Walter Jones, Fathers Who Care;
- Kirk Harris, Fathers on Healthy Communities Initiative;
- Carl West, MG Media/Truth B Told News Service; and
- Ian Stroud, Citywide American Indian Education Council.
One young father, in his late teens, said the message should be "taken to the street." He shared his feelings of isolation without a job and family supports. The group challenged this young man to return with his friends to a follow-up meeting. Attendees also challenged each other to go to their neighbors and friends encouraging them to become involved.
As a result of this session, monthly meetings will be held to continue the dialogue. A larger Fathers Forum is scheduled for May 5, 2012 at Odgen School in Chicago, IL.
Shirley Jones serves within the Department of Education Office of Communications and Outreach for the Great Lakes Region.
Addressing fatherhood can play a key role in the addressing youth violence in our communities. This reality was recently front and center at a session of a two day working session of cities participating in the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention.
Howard Spivak, MD, Director Division of Violence Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Joseph Jones, Jr., President, Center for Urban Families, Pastor Keith Norman, First Baptist Church Broad, Memphis, TN, Wendy Wheeler, President, Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development
In response to this crisis of Youth Violence we are facing, President Obama directed the Departments of Justice and Education to partner with other federal agencies to launch the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention. This is a six city network dedicated to stopping youth violence in our nation’s cities. The six participating cities— Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Memphis, Salinas, CA and San Jose, CA –have made significant progress toward implementing comprehensive youth violence prevention strategies.
At the two day working session, teams from these cities — including chiefs of police, public-health officials, educators, city officials, community and faith leaders shared the progress they’ve made. This progress has come through the use of evidence-based strategies to prevent youth violence and help formerly incarcerated youth become productive citizens. We recognize that family, including fathers and youth engagement our critical elements to successful youth violence prevention strategies.
In the sessions that titled, “Preventing Youth Violence BEFORE it Starts: Youth, Families, and Faith-Based Partners,” Joe Jones, President of the Center for Urban Families drove home the importance of engaging fathers. In addressing the role that father absence plays in Youth Violence, Joe described his programs efforts to train fathers on how to engage with their children and the mother of their children. Joe shared how the Center for Urban Families works with a number of young dads through the Baltimore Responsible Fatherhood Project.
Pastor Keith Norman also participated sharing his efforts to engage the Faith community around a Memphis’ Comprehensive Youth Violence Prevention plan. Pastor Norman discussed the important role that Faith-based organizations can play in partnering with law enforcement and other groups in order to prevent youth violence and creating opportunity for young people.
Eugene Schneeberg is the Director of the Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the Department of Justice.
In addressing the pressing issues facing our families and children, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and the Office of Family Assistance (OFA) has taken the President’s call for flexibility and collaboration to heart. Using $6 million of funding for responsible fatherhood programming, ACF has partnered with the Housing and Urban Development Agency (HUD) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to conduct four pilot/demonstration projects targeting the re-entry population.
The goal of this collaborative effort: to change the outcomes of individuals coming out of our correctional institutions moving them toward self-sufficiency and greater family and community integration.
The most recent data available is compelling. Nearly 730,000 individuals were released from our correctional facilities in 2009. 809,800 of the 1, 518,535 held in the nation’s prison system in 2007 have families and children that they have left behind as they serve their sentences. What we have learned from this data is that no one is better off from the experience. After having been “inside” for days, months, or years, they are faced with life on the “outside” with no clear path back into their homes, communities, or workplace. From the research, we know that transition is difficult because nearly 68 percent of all formerly incarcerated individuals will return to prison or jail within the first three years of release.
Our Federal partnership is committed to changing these outcomes by leveraging or collective resources and knowledge. ACF has blended evidence-based promising practices gleaned from DOJ’s Second Chance programs and HUD’s Project Reunite in this new $6 million pilot program. HUD and DOJ have committed to work with the four grantee sites to creating environments that support and guide the transition of the formerly incarcerated back into their communities.
- In preparation for re-entry, and with the assistance of DOJ, these pilot programs will reach into correctional facilities prior to individuals’ release and provide them with case management, and soft- and hard-skills development and enhancement strategies. While no partner or spouse will be forced or coerced to participate in the housing or relationship development activities, this partnership will incorporate a plan on how to re-enter their families’ lives if and when safe to do. This effort will also begin to prepare them for entry into a competitive labor market.
- HUD will work with the programs to support the housing needs of these individuals upon their release. This will mean either that a person will be getting a place to live on their own or will work with a partner or spouse to overcome barriers, so that they may re-unite with their families who might live in public housing or have Section 8 housing assistance.
The partnership is focused on success. It is based on the principle that our positive actions will lead to stronger and healthier results for the community as a whole.
Earl Johnson is the Director of the Office of Family Assistance within the Administration for Children and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Here at the end of Domestic Violence Awareness month for 2011, it’s a good time to reflect on ways in which responsible fatherhood programs can help fathers change attitudes and behavior in their families and communities. Four of the 33 webinars provided by the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse for federal fatherhood grantees have focused on ways to address domestic violence as a part of fatherhood work. Most recently Tony Porter from 'A Call to Men' and Crispin Clarke from Nonviolence Works discussed ways to encourage dads to be good role models and to “take the conversation to the community.”
President Obama said in October 2010, “Ending domestic violence requires a collaborative effort involving every part of our society.” I believe that fatherhood practitioners and fathers can be a part of such a collaborative effort. Local fatherhood programs have a unique opportunity to raise awareness, help dads avoid violent and controlling behavior, encourage them to be positive role models, and show them how to engage other men in the conversation. That also means staff of fatherhood programs have to be good role models for the dads they work with.
A responsible father treats the mother of his children with respect at all times and maintains a positive parenting relationship with her, irrespective of their romantic or living arrangements. More than anything he must be a positive role model for his kids. And if he’s not, it’s the responsibility of an effective fatherhood program to point that out, challenge him to do better, and make appropriate referrals when necessary. It’s valuable for a fatherhood program to develop a strong partnership with local domestic violence programs and ensure that staff are fully trained to understand the warning signs and implications of domestic violence.
Since 1988, Nigel Vann has managed various fatherhood programs, provided a wide range of assistance to numerous organizations, been involved in four national fatherhood demonstration projects, and worked with several international fatherhood initiatives.
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En respuesta al llamado del presidente Obama para una conversación nacional sobre la paternidad responsable y las familias saludables, aprender cómo usted puede unirse a la Iniciativa Presidencial de Padres y Mentores.