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.
One of the most important and biggest lessons learned over the past five years working in the fatherhood field is that “You can’t do it by yourself.”
Over the last decade or so, both synergy and energy have revived a renewed interest in looking at the issues facing Non-Custodial (mostly fathers) parents. The 2006 federal funding of Responsible Fatherhood programs did much to stimulate the capacity of the field to serve fathers. Because of it, we are excited about the promise of federal funding. The $75 million for Responsible Fatherhood and $75 million for Healthy Relationships and Marriage will build new capacity in addition to building on the existing infrastructure in the field.
Long gone are the days that a potential grantee can wait until the last few days before a grant is due and scramble for friendly organizations to write a “letter of recommendation.” Collaboration is a must for any organization seeking to work with fathers, particularly low income fathers. The needs are too vast and complex for any one agency to adequately provide the much needed long term case management necessary to provide productive and healthy outcomes.
Listen, I understand. My kindergarten teacher commented on one of my report cards, “Kenny doesn’t play well in the sandbox with others.” What did I have to do?
Don’t be discouraged. I believe we can do it. It’s much more satisfying to win as a team. Our children need our collective ideas, resources and passion to ensure their success. The best way to do that is by finding ways to work with those who are willing and passionate to make a difference. Collaboration done correctly can surely create family change our communities need.
Kenneth Braswell is a fatherhood expert with over 21 years of community development experience, and has previously worked as the Director of the New York State Fatherhood Initiative (www.dads.ny.gov). He is currently the Executive Director of Fathers incorporated and a consultant for ICF International.
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