Supporting Father Involvement:
An Evidence Based Program
Many online resources claim that they are devoted to increasing coparenting engagement of fathering partners among the families they serve. Most effective family agencies know it is not easy to embrace such institutional change from within mother-centered programs, and appreciate help in broadening their institutional practices as well as the understanding of their staff, their clients and patients about the benefits to families and practitioners of fathering engagement. Online resources we have found useful for agencies interested in becoming more ‘father/coparent friendly’:
The National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse
www.fatherhood.gov– NRFC offers a library of useful statistics and media-savvy materials without cost.
National Fatherhood Institute
www.fatherhood.org – A US organization that offers training and materials (both at modest cost) in father engagement, and strengthening of co-parenting through its materials addressed to women. ‘Father Facts’ and their Resource Library help agencies make the case to strengthen partner recruiting.
Fatherhood Institute (UK)
www.fatherhoodinstitute.org – Located in the UK, describes itself as the ‘largest independent think tank on fatherhood’. It offers many print and online resources, and a research library that helps agencies make the case and the changes necessary to make the transition to being more ‘father friendly’.
Parent Lab
www.parentlab.org – A mission-driven site that combines neuroscience and child development expertise to support parents of children 0-12 in meeting parenting and co-parenting challenges. Offers a parenting course and is currently planning to expand internationally to offer couples groups in collaboration with SFI/PasP.
Brazelton Touchpoints Center
www.brazeltontouchpoints.org – A mission-driven non-profit devoted to partnering with agencies and communities to create resilient contexts in which children thrive. Offers resources, work-force training and webinars (many at no cost); recently featured a three webinar series focussing on SFI/PasP.
A Selective List of Organizations That Have Implemented SFI
Alberta SFI
- Funding Source: Palix Foundation.
www.palixfoundation.org - Family Centre Society of Southern Alberta
Lethbridge Family Centre
Contact: Peter Imhof (Executive Director).
www.famcentre.ca - Cochrane Parent Link Center.
Contact: Kim Krawec.
www.cochrane.ca
(Click Parenting programs, then Fathers Matter)
California SFI
- Orange County
Contact: Nick Mazzeo.
www.all4kids.org - San Francisco
Department of Public Health, Parent Training Institute.
Contact: Stephanie Romney
www.pti-sf.org - San Luis Obispo
Community Action Partnership.
Contact: Melinda Sokolowski.
www.capslo.org - Santa Cruz
Encompass Community Services.
Contact: Armando Alcaraz
www.encompasscs.org - Watsonville
Papas Supporting Father Involvement.
www.papassfi.org - Freedom
Mentorsdc
Contact: Deuteron Kebebew, deuteron@mentorsdc.com
www.mentorsdc.org
Connecticut SFI
- Hartford
Village for Children
Contact: Sandy Kyriakoupolus
www.thevillage.org
UK SFI/PasP
- London
Parents as Partners Programme, led by staff at Tavistock Relationships.
www.tavistockrelationships.org
Take The Next Step
Keep exploring how Supporting Father Involvement can improve outcomes for your organization.
