Child and Family Services recently received a $20,000 responsible fatherhood grant to train local professionals who are already reaching out to expectant families to facilitate parent education and support groups for new and expectant fathers, an often under acknowledged population.  As part of the grant, there will be a 2 ½ hour Conscious Fathering class and ongoing Circle of Parents - Focusing on Fathers support groups. 

 

In addition to community outreach, this initiative will allow CFS to increase awareness about the important role fathers have in their children’s lives.  “We will also develop a father-friendly policy that we will share with our agency and other partnering agencies.  We want to increase the knowledge statewide about the importance of responsible fathers in the lives of their children,” said Joan Valk, Child and Family Services Circle of Parents program coordinator.  “It will encourage them to make reaching out to fathers a priority in their work with families.”   

 

The goal of the Circle of Parents - Focusing on Fathers program is to strengthen fathering skills, enable men to be engaged and nurturing fathers and supportive co-parents (whether they are in a relationship with their children’s mother or not) and to provide ongoing support and recognition for fathers. 

 

There are three program sites:  the HUB Family Resource Center in Dover, Good Beginnings of Sullivan County in Claremont and Monadnock Family Services of Keene.  It is anticipated more individuals will be trained in the next three to five years and existing Circle of Parents support groups will increase their ability to reach out to more fathers. Groups will start in early June.  For more information, contact Joan Valk at 934-4855.

 

Funding for this project was provided by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance, Grant No. 90FR0098 – Promoting Responsible Fatherhood Community Access Program.  This grant was awarded to Circle of Parents, 500 N. Michigan Ave., #200, Chicago, IL 60611.