About Circle of Parents: Fatherhood
www.fatherhood.gov
Since 2007 Partners for Kids: United Hands Make the Best Families grants have been awarded in the states of Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Washington and Wisconsin. Circle of Parents® Network members receive $20,000 to provide training and technical assistance to 2 local home visiting programs within their state. Each local home visiting program receives $50,000 to provide education and support services to expecting and fathers of babies 12 months and under. Local home visiting programs receiving these awards represent Healthy Families America, Parents as Teachers, Nurse/Family Partnership, Early Head Start and Healthy Start.
These grants are used to increase the capacity of local community or faith-based home visitation programs to provide support and education that promotes responsible parenting among expectant and new fathers. Along the way, organizations are helped to become more father and family-friendly.
The education and support services are a combination of Conscious Fathering Program™ classes, a program of Parent Trust for Washington Children and Circle of Parents groups for fathers. During the first year of the project 250 classes and groups were provided to 321 expecting and new fathers. Forty-seven percent of those men were married; 95% were the biological father; 41% had incomes under $20,000; and 70% were employed full-time. A variety of urban, rural and suburban communities are impacted.
The Circle of Parents national office provides training and technical assistance in partnership with its Network members, parents, and fatherhood, research and domestic violence consultants. A National Fatherhood Advisory Committee comprised of parents and practitioners guides the project.
Funding for this project was made possible through a 5-year Responsible Fatherhood Community Access Program grant received by the Circle of Parents national office in 2006. This grant is funded through the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Families Assistance – Grant No. 90FR0098, CFDA #93.086. Services are available to all eligible persons, regardless of race, gender, age, disability or religion.
For more information about this project and grant opportunities in upcoming years, contact Karen Schrader, Training & Technical Assistance Manager, Circle of Parents, circleofparents@northstate.net or 336.883.4560.
