The information in this program outline is provided by the program representative and edited by the CEBC staff. The 24/7 Dad™ program has been reviewed by the CEBC in the area of: Father Involvement Interventions, but lacks the necessary research evidence to be given a Scientific Rating.

• Types of Maltreatment: Does not target any specific kind of maltreatment
• Target Population: Fathers with children age 18 or younger. It is designed for custodial and non-custodial fathers with instructions on how to deliver it most effectively to non-custodial and unemployed and underemployed fathers.

24/7 Dad™ is a unique set of programs designed to equip fathers with the self-awareness, compassion, and sense of responsibility that every good parent needs. It focuses on building the man first and the father second. It is available in both a basic and a more in-depth version:

• 24/7 Dad™ A.M., the basic version, is for first-time dads, or for fathers lacking vital skills, knowledge, and attitudes.
• 24/7 Dad™ P.M includes more in-depth information for more experienced fathers, or for dads who have completed the A.M. program.

The philosophy behind the programs supports the growth and development of fathers and children as caring and compassionate people who treat themselves, others, and the environment with respect and dignity. This philosophical basis of caring and compassion forms the underlying structure that constitutes the values that are taught in the programs.

The goals of the 24/7 Dad™ programs are emphasized in each session. They are to increase:

• Awareness among fathers about the elements to being good fathers
• Knowledge among fathers about the elements to being good fathers
• Capacity or skills to carry out what the fathers learn.

These will include better skills in caring for children and building relationships with the mother of their children. Each program includes an evaluation tool (questionnaire) that allows facilitators to measure changes in fathers as a result of participating in the programs.

• Each session follows a structured sequence of activities that build awareness and knowledge about the subject matter of the session. Fathers use the activities to increase their capacity or skills in caring for themselves, their children, and their relationships (e.g., with the mother of their children).
• Each session follows the same format for consistency:

• A 20-minute Welcome and Warm-Up Activity
• 80 minutes of interactive activities/exercises
• A 20-minute Closing, Comments, and Evaluation activity.
• Fathers use their Fathering Handbook during each session (e.g., complete fill-in-the blank worksheets) to enhance and reinforce learning.

• Sessions include activities that draw on the logical and analytical (left side) and creative and emotional (right side) parts of the brain. These activities combine to enhance the fathers’ learning because they require them to use all parts of their brain. This approach helps facilitators create a balance of activities for fathers who are most comfortable with analytical exercises and fathers who are most comfortable with creative exercises.
• Facilitators ask fathers questions at the end of each session to gauge fathers’ progress as the move through the program instead of only at the conclusion of the program. This “in-progress” evaluation allows facilitators to reinforce vital learning objectives that might be missed in the absence of this component and if they only evaluated the impact of the program’s conclusion.
• Facilitators should follow the sessions in order and the sequence of the activities in each session to maintain program fidelity and to effectively evaluate the impact of the program.
• Sessions in the A.M. program include:

• Family History
• What it Means to Be a Man
• Showing and Handling Feelings
• Men’s Health
• Communication
• The Father’s Role
• Discipline
• Children’s Growth
• Getting Involved
• Working with Mom and Co-Parenting
• Dads and Work
• Celebrate

• Sessions in the P.M. program include:

• Fathering and the 24/7 Dad
• Boyhood to Manhood
• Dealing with Anger
• Knowing Myself
• Family Ties
• Sex, Love, and Relationships
  
• Power and Control
• Competition and Fathering
• Improving My Communication Skills
• Fun with the Kids
• Stress, Alcohol, and Work
• Celebrate
  

24/7 Dad™ was not designed with a child component.

24/7 Dad™ was designed with a parent/caregiver component that addresses the following presenting problems and symptoms:

• Lack of awareness and knowledge and poor skills related to being an effective parent and father.  Poor or strained relationship with the mother of the father’s children.

24/7 Dad™ was designed to be conducted in a group setting; but has not been tested for use in a group setting.

Recommended group size:

No more than 12 (recommend co-facilitator for large groups of 8-12)

Recommended Intensity:

Weekly 2-hour sessions; may be delivered in a shorter duration depending on the audience (e.g., 2 sessions per week for a total of 4 hours)

Recommended Duration:

12 weeks for both A.M. and P.M. programs; may be delivered in a shorter duration depending on the audience (e.g., 6 weeks with 2 sessions per week)

This program is typically conducted in a(n):

• Community Agency
• Departments of Social Service
• Outpatient Clinic
• Religious Organization
• Residential Care Facility
• School
• Workplace

24/7 Dad™ includes a homework component:

The P.M. program includes an Action Log as part of the Closing, Comments, and Evaluation activity in each session that fathers use to plan how they will implement what they learned in the home/with their children/with the mother of their children. Fathers report on their level of success in implementing their actions during the subsequent sessions.

24/7 Dad™ has materials available in a language other than English:

Spanish

For information on which materials are available in this language, please check on the program's website or contact the program representative (contact information is listed at the bottom of this page).

The typical resources for implementing the program are:

The facilitator’s manual for the A.M. and P.M. programs list the basic program supplies. Although there are some unique supplies needed for each session (most of which are supplied on the CD-ROM that comes with the programs), basic supplies include:

• a flip chart and markers
• pens and pencils
• and blank pieces of paper.
  

Facilitators should have access to a room large enough for up to 12 fathers and the facilitator(s) to sit comfortably. The room should also be large enough to allow for fathers to move around the room without bumping into each other or objects because some of the interactive activities require movement around the room.

There is no minimum education requirement for becoming a facilitator. It is recommended, but not required, that facilitators participate in a training institute on the programs. If a facilitator is experienced, he/she can purchase the programs and conduct them without training because the curriculum materials describe exactly how to conduct the programs. Free technical assistance is provided to facilitators whether or not they participate in a training institute.

There is a manual that describes how to implement this program, and there is training available for this program.

Training Contact:

• Elaine Barber, Senior Director of Events and Logistics
  National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI)
  ebarber@fatherhood.org
  phone: (240) 912-1267 or (301) 948-0599

Training is obtained:

On-site upon request of organization and at NFI headquarters in Germantown, MD (contact NFI for current headquarters training schedule)

Number of days/hours:

1-day (8 hour) and 2-day (16 hour) options

This program has been reviewed and it was determined that this program lacks the type of published, peer-reviewed research that meets the CEBC criteria for a scientific rating of 1 – 5. Therefore, the program has been given the classification of "NR - Not able to be Rated." It was reviewed because it was identified by the topic expert as a program being used in the field, or it is being marketed and/or used in California with children receiving services from child welfare or related systems and their parents/caregivers. Some programs that are not rated may have published, peer-reviewed research that does not meet the above stated criteria or may have eligible studies that have not yet been published in the peer-reviewed literature. For more information on the "NR - Not able to be Rated" classification, please see the Scientific Rating Scale.

Child Welfare Outcomes: Not Specified

Currently, there are no published, peer-reviewed research studies for 24/7 Dad™.

No reference materials are currently available for 24/7 Dad™.