who is national fatherhood initiative?

2011 National Fatherhood Initiative 1

National Fatherhood Initiative™ ________________________________________________

Improving the well-being of children by increasing the proportion of children with involved, responsible, and committed fathers in their lives.

2011 National Fatherhood Initiative

Defining the Issue

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24 million children live in homes absent their biological father* 1 of 3 children nationally - triple the rate of 1960 - live in father-absent

homes* 2 of 3 in the African American community live in father-absent homes* 2 of 5 children in father-absent homes have contact with their fathers

less than once per month** 9 in 10 moms and dads believe there is a father absence crisis in

America today***

* From the U.S. Census Bureau, “America’s Families and Living Arrangements: 2010”** From Aquilino, W.S. (2006). The noncustodial father-child relationship from adolescence into young adulthood. Journal of Marriage and Family, 68, 929-946 ***From National Fatherhood Initiative’s “Mama Says” and “Pop’s Culture” surveys (2009 and 2006)

> There are record levels of father absence in America

> However, today’s involved fathers are more involved than ever Since 1965, fathers have more than doubled their time doing child

care and house work* Societal agreement on the notion that dads should not only provide

for their children, but nurture and guide them, too

*Anthes, E. (2010, May/June). Family guy. Scientific American Mind


Children in father-absent homes are two to five times more likely to: live in poverty fail in school develop emotional or behavioral problems abuse drugs be abused and neglected become involved in crime commit suicide

Why Fathers Matter

> The Consequences of Father Absence

> The Benefits of Father Involvement

Children with involved fathers are more likely to have: better cognitive outcomes, even as infants higher self-esteem and less depression as teenagers higher grades, test scores, and overall academic achievement lower levels of drug and alcohol use higher levels of empathy and other pro-social behavior


> NFI is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that was founded in 1994 to begin a society-wide movement to renew fatherhood in America.

Who is National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI)?

NFI’s Mission is carried out using a “Three E” Strategy


Low Intensity Resources and Staff Training: Virtual resources for dads such as articles, Dad Email™, Drop Dad a Line, Dad’s Club™; Fatherhood skill-building brochures, posters, kiosk, interactive CD’s; Father Friendly Check Up™ and on-site/customized webinars

Medium Intensity Resources and Staff TrainingWorkshops for fathers such as Doctor Dad™, 7 Habits™, Why Knot?™; Best Practices, Social Marketing, Men’s Ministry Remodeled™, customized workshops; Facilitator Training Institutes™ for Doctor Dad™ and Why Knot?™, online training, online resources

High Intensity Resources and Staff TrainingFatherhood Programs/Core Curricula such as 24/7 Dad™, InsideOut Dad™, & FatherTopics Workshops™; Facilitator training institutes for core curricula

ServicesCompression Planning, Father-Readiness Assessment, Community Engagement Planning

> NFI creates products and services for use in the community-based, corrections, and military settings

What Does National Fatherhood Initiative Do?Develop & Deploy Products and Services

FatherSOURCE Fatherhood Skill-Building Resources and Catalog


NFI is the most quoted authority on fatherhood in America Since 2009, NFI has been mentioned in over 3,200 news stories, reaching a

potential viewership of over a billion people. NFI staff make regular appearances in national media,

including The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, Fox News, The Today Show, and many more.

NFI has published more studies about fatherhood than any other organization NFI has published 35 research reports including:

3 national surveys on fatherhood and marriage 24 state surveys on fatherhood and marriage 7 research compilations A report on the economic cost of father absence

NFI has the quickest and broadest access to the largest amount of fatherhood research

By accessing its research compilation, Father Facts, combined with knowledge of Census data and other relevant data sources, NFI can provide the public with information on fatherhood quickly and accurately.

> NFI, through the publication of research and as a trusted voice in the media, educates the public about the importance of strengthening fatherhood in America.

What Does National Fatherhood Initiative Do?Research and Media


NFI is the #1 provider of fatherhood skill-building resources NFI offers over 100 distinct fatherhood skill-building resources NFI has distributed over 6.3 million fatherhood skill-building resources

(brochures, fathering handbooks, curricula for fatherhood programs, etc.) NFI’s resources and fatherhood programming is used by community-based

organizations, along with correctional facilities, and the military

NFI provides the very best skill-building resources for fathers, organizations, and fatherhood practitioners.

NFI’s resources have been researched and tested in the field for over a decade

NFI is the #1 trainer of organizations and fatherhood practitioners Since 2002, NFI has trained over 12,700 fatherhood program practitioners and over

5,900 organizations on delivering fatherhood skill-building programming to dads NFI offers Curricula Training Institutes, Capacity-Building Workshops, and

Topical Fatherhood Presentations on a variety of topics to inform and educate at conferences, events, etc.

> NFI builds the capacity of organizations, large and small, to better serve the fathers in their communities.

What Does National Fatherhood Initiative Do?Capacity Building

2011 National Fatherhood Initiative

The only evidence-based curriculum for workingwith incarcerated fathersIndependent evaluation conducted by Rutgers University in Newark, NJ-area prisons found curriculum has positive impact on dads knowledgeand attitudes compared to control group

NFI’s research-based and field-tested fatherhood curricula are continually evaluated for effectiveness, giving funders and users the certainty that our programs are making an impact.

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What Does National Fatherhood Initiative Do?Capacity Building, Cont’d.

Several third-party evaluations found positive impact on dads’ knowledge and attitudes.

Used by more federally-funded fatherhood programs than any other curriculum.

> NFI builds the capacity of organizations, large and small, to better serve the fathers in their communities.


> NFI executes large- and small-scale projects in conjunction with a variety of public and private funders. Examples include:

What Does National Fatherhood Initiative Do?Funded Projects

Projects funded by private foundations: NFI executes on various projects to develop and distribute products and services

to fathers and father-serving organizations NFI works with The Annie E. Casey Foundation, The Lynde and Harry Bradley

Foundation NFI also works with The Achelis and Bodman Foundations - providing

fatherhood training to dads in Newark, NJ prisons

The Connections Project (U.S. Department of Justice) A one-year project in which NFI trained practitioners around the country to

deliver fatherhood programming to incarcerated fathers and fathers reentering society from prison

NFI built connectionsproject.org, a website with resources, online learning, and technical assistance

The Connections Project Website


> NFI executes large- and small-scale projects in conjunction with a variety of public and private funders. Additional examples include:

What Does National Fatherhood Initiative Do?Funded Projects, Cont’d.

National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)

Multi-year contract to create and run fatherhood.gov, a national media campaign, and provide technical assistance to HHS’ responsible fatherhood grantees

National Responsible Fatherhood Capacity-Building Initiative (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)

A multi-year cooperative agreement in which NFI made sub-grants to organizations seeking to build their capacity to serve fathers

NFI worked intensively with over 100 sub-grantees over the 5 year project period to help them become more effective father-serving organizations

An evaluation of the project showed that NFI increased capacity in 93% of organizations in the short and long term, with nearly 1 in 3 increasing their capacity by more than 20%


> NFI, as a trusted authority on fatherhood, works with a variety of organizations on a diverse set of projects to strengthen fatherhood.

What Does National Fatherhood Initiative Do? Organizations We’ve Worked With

NFI has worked with some of the most recognized organizations in the country, both for- and non-profits, to reach a diversity of fathers through a wide variety of projects.


> NFI, as a trusted authority on fatherhood, works with brands to help position them with a large, national audience of fathers and father-serving organizations.

What Does National Fatherhood Initiative Do? Brand Promotion and Partnerships

Through a grant from FedEx, National Fatherhood Initiative created a FedEx version of its popular Daddy Pack™

This kit of useful information increases the health literacy of fathers and provides practical skills for connecting to their newborns

Over 4,000 FedEx Daddy Packs™ were distributed to hospitals in the mid-Atlantic region

National Fatherhood Initiative teamed with Disney on “The Princess and the Frog” in August 2009

NFI distributed over 40,000 movie-themed materials to nearly 450 community-based fatherhood organizations around the country

NFI published an op-ed about the film’s positive fatherhood message in The Washington Times and publicized the film in its online and offline communications vehicles

NFI gives brands access to its online and offline networks – over 100,000 contacts per month – offering maximum exposure to a targeted audience of dads and those who care most about them.


> NFI provides fathers with fatherhood advice and places to form communities with others who care about this issue.

What Does National Fatherhood Initiative Do?Social Media & Online Communications

Updates on NFI activities, fatherhood quotes and advice, polls, and more.

Engaging the Twitter community on how fatherhood connects to the issues of the day.

NFI’s website is home to information for fathers, organizations, the media, and policymakers.

Essays linking news of the day to fatherhood, updates on NFI activities, and fatherhood advice.


> NFI draws national attention to the challenges military families and children face by recognizing a military dad with the Military Fatherhood Award™

What Does National Fatherhood Initiative Do?The Military Fatherhood Award™ (MFA)

The Military Fatherhood Award™ recognizes and lifts up a military dad who: Displays an ongoing commitment and dedication to his child(ren) Makes extraordinary efforts to father from a distance (when deployed Successfully balances military and family life Makes an effort to mentor other military fathers and/or military children

Each year, over 600 nominations are narrowed down to 3 finalists Finalists’ families/friends submit a video for the public to view and vote

for the winner on NFI’s Facebook page NFI raises awareness for the struggle of military children and the need for

father involvement by leveraging Facebook to engage the public to vote

And throughout the year, NFI provides military fathers and families with the resources they need to improve fatherhood skills, thereby improving military family resiliency.

Corporate sponsorship of the MFA™ offers brand exposure for businesses who wish to show their support for military fathers and families

MFA sponsorships provide fatherhood skill-building resources to military installations through NFI’s “Strong Fathers, Strong Families” fund

The FactsMilitary children suffer similar consequences as children from father-absent homes

1.8 million military children are affected by the unique stresses of military life

Approximately 593,000 active-duty service members and nearly 300,000 U.S. reservists are Dads

150,000 military fathers are currently deployed, with deployments ranging

from 30 days to 15 months


> NFI provides opportunities for organizations and individuals to engage in our work.

How You Can Work & Connect With Us

Individuals

Dads – NFI offers access to free information and other resources Moms – NFI helps you engage your children’s father in their lives Donors – NFI provides you with opportunities for your donation to make a difference, depending on your interests Advocates – NFI gives you a voice through online and offline communication vehicles

NFI can work with you to help you implement a fatherhood program in your community NFI can recommend resources and services to best help you build your fatherhood program

NFI can work with you to create a project that will make an impact on fathers and families

Organizations

Funders

Entertainment/Media

Corporations Help you position your brand as one that cares about fathers Connect you to our Military Fatherhood Award™ program Help you provide work-family balance solutions to your employees

Help you write your story by providing background information, data, and interviews Help you promote your entertainment project

who is national fatherhood initiative?

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