The FATHER (Fostering Actions To Help Earnings and Responsibility) Project

Low-income fathers, primarily noncustodial

The FATHER Project aims to empower fathers to overcome the barriers that prevent them from supporting their children economically and emotionally. It is designed to be a "one-stop shop," connecting low-income fathers with all the services they need in one location. The FATHER Project has developed a model for bringing together parenting education, child support, GED education, employment services, legal services, and early childhood education under one roof. In addition to fathers, mothers and children also actively participate in FATHER Project services. The model has been used with diverse populations, leveraging the expertise of culturally-specific organizations in implementing the holistic approach. The ultimate long-term impact of the program involves service recipients hopefully progressing to become community leaders through intensive engagement in one of three "Leadership Track" options after key program goals have been accomplished.

Andrew Freeberg, PhD

• Agency/Affiliation: Goodwill Easter Seals Minnesota
• Website: http://www.goodwilleasterseals.org/fatherproject
• Email: AFreeberg@GoodwillEasterSeals.org
• Phone: (651) 379-5874

The goals ofThe FATHER (Fostering Actions To Help Earnings and Responsibility) Project are:

• Short-Term Outcomes:
• Improve parenting attitudes and knowledge
• Improve parenting skills
• Increase commitment to fatherhood
• Increase contact with children
• Improve job search skills
• Increase earnings
• Job placement, retention and advancement
• Intermediate Outcomes:
• Increase time spent with children
• Increase quality of parenting involvement with children
• Increase earnings and career advancement
• Increase length of job retention
• Increase in paternity establishments and child support payments
• Long-Term Outcomes:
• Improve well-being of children and families
• Produce strong, stable, and healthy men, who support their families and strengthen their communities for the long term
• Increase community involvement, leadership, and volunteerism

The essential components of The FATHER (Fostering Actions To Help Earnings and Responsibility) Project include:

• Case management services
• Parenting classes with groups of 10-20 fathers
  
• Job placement and employment services
  
• Child support services
  
• Education services
  
• Family law services
  

Parent/Caregiver Services

The FATHER (Fostering Actions To Help Earnings and Responsibility) Project directly provides services to parents/caregivers and addresses the following:

• Lack of Employment, in need of family law assistance, in need of a GED, difficulties with child support, lack of parenting skills, and lack of life skills

Recommended Intensity

There are multiple forms of contact and program delivery, and the program is customized for each participant. The following are average contact times for different program components - Parenting Class: 4 sessions per month, 2 hours per session (8 hours per month) - Case Management: Twice per month, 1 hour per meeting - Job Club: Weekly, 2 hour for participants seeking employment, individual meetings based on need - Child Support: 1 hour orientation for all, individual meetings (45 minutes) based on need - GED: depends on need, ranges from 4-15 hours per week - Interactive Skill-Building Parenting Class (early childhood development focus): 4 sessions per month, 2 hours per session - Home Visiting (early childhood, school readiness focus): 2 hours per months, from 6-12 months - and Family Law: 1 hour orientation for all, individual meetings, consultations, up to and including full representation (much more time intensive) based on need.

Recommended Duration

1 year for the typical participant, with options for continued leadership development and service after that year.

Delivery Settings

This program is typically conducted in a(n):

• Birth Family Home
• Community-based Agency / Organization / Provider

Homework

This program does include a homework component.

Homework for participants active in the GED component of the program. Readings and exercises as a part of the Early Childhood Education and Parenting Education components.

Languages

The FATHER (Fostering Actions To Help Earnings and Responsibility) Project has materials available in the following languages 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 in this page).

Resources Needed to Run Program

The typical resources for implementing the program are:

• Space for group sessions; resources to provide light refreshments for group sessions is recommended.
• A minimum of one dedicated staff who can serve as a Father Services Coordinator and Facilitate parenting groups.
• Data tracking system for outreach, recruitment and referrals (FATHER Project can provide).
• Data tracking system for tracking parenting class attendance and outcomes measures (FATHER Project can provide).
• Forms and systems for working with local child support partners on issues related to intake, eligibility, and case coordination (FATHER Project can provide).
• Partnerships with your local child support agency, an employment service provider, legal services, early childhood educators, culturally-specific support services, domestic violence prevention, and other services that are primary to the needs of the fathers served.
• Partners agree to actively participate in a Service Collaborative Committee to guide and inform development of the site, as well as a vehicle for providing the necessary holistic, wrap-around services in the integrated FATHER Project way (FATHER Project provides technical assistance and initial co-facilitation services).

Prerequisite/Minimum Provider Qualifications

• Training as a facilitator in the Parents as Teachers/Meld Peer Group Facilitation method (can be provided by the FATHER Project); initial training is 20 hours.
• A commitment and passion for responsible fatherhood with previous experiences and skills that inform that service in your local community.

Manual Information

There is a manual that describes how to deliver this program.

Training Information

There is training available for this program.

Training Contact

Training Type/Location:

Training can be provided onsite or at the Minneapolis location of The FATHER Project.

Number of days/hours:

Varies based on the needs of the site. Initial Peer Group Facilitation training is 20 hours; site exchange training ranges from 1.0 - 2.5 days

• There are currently no published, peer-reviewed research studies on outcomes with the appropriate target population for the topic area(s) in which The FATHER (Fostering Actions To Help Earnings and Responsibility) Project has been reviewed.

• Wilder Research. (2010). The FATHER Project Return on Investment Study retrieved from - to access this reference, please click here.