Fatherhood Initiative
Elevating the importance of engaging dads in family support services.
When fathers are actively involved in their children’s lives, the whole family thrives.
The Children’s Trust recognizes the critical role that fathers play in the wellbeing and development of their children and works to advance programs and trainings that support fathers, their families, and the professionals who work with them.
Father involvement is associated with improved cognitive development, social skills, independence, and academic achievement in children. Children with involved dads tend to have higher self-esteem, better peer relationships, and more prosocial behaviors. But it’s not just children who benefit. Fathers themselves experience better health outcomes, greater income, and higher life satisfaction when they are active participants in parenting.
We’re focused on providing resources, training, and guidance on how to foster father involvement, support coparenting relationships, and encourage healthy family dynamics.
- Promoting Father Engagement: Fathers are often overlooked in parenting programs. Our work places a special emphasis on engaging fathers by making parenting programs more father
- Strengthening Co-parenting Relationships: We promote the critical importance of healthy co-parenting relationships by guiding family support workers on how to engage both parents to work together in a supportive and respectful way
s, - Support for Fatherhood Programs: We fund and support organizations that offer effective fatherhood programs, which includes providing resources, training, and support to make these programs successful.
- Capacity Building for Professionals: We offer a variety of trainings that provide knowledge and skills to effectively support fathers and promote positive father-child relationships.
- Advocacy and Awareness: We advocate for policies and practices at the state and community level that promote the importance of father involvement and that ensure fathers are provided with the opportunities and supports needed to thrive in their roles as parents.
By focusing on these areas, we are promoting environments where fathers are supported, valued, and able to play an active role in their children’s lives.
Fathers & Family Network
The Fathers & Family Network is a statewide network of family support professionals. We provide funding to local agencies and organizations to convene regional meetings across the Commonwealth to share information, conduct educational workshops and discussions, and provide opportunities for networking and professional development. The result: increased competency for family support staff and greater public awareness of the importance of engaging dads.
Nurturing Fathers
Nurturing Fathers is a 13-week, strength-based curriculum that helps to build and fortify positive parenting attitudes and behaviors. We partner with local organizations to bring this impactful program to fathers in Massachusetts.
Father-Child Interaction Groups
We support the implementation of Father-Child Interaction groups to connect fathers to community organizations while providing positive experiences for them and their children. These groups are designed to foster meaningful connections between fathers, their children, and their communities. Father-Child interaction groups provide opportunities for children to learn, explore, and develop skills while encouraging fathers’ active participation in their children’s development.
Partnership in Action
Our 10 year partnership with Hampshire County House of Corrections, to implement Nurturing Fathers, has resulted in over 100 fathers graduating from the Nurturing Father’s program, of which 99 have not returned to incarceration. Hear from the dads involved in that program below:
Downloadable Resources
Our Voices
This program (Nurturing Fathers) has been invaluable. The people, the warmth, that kind of support – I don’t think you can substitute it for anything. You need people around you, you need community.
Luke DeRoy, Nurturing Fathers Graduate
Being a father isn’t about being perfect, it’s about being present. And when we help professionals really see dads, really hear them, we open doors that can change the whole trajectory of a family.”
Steven Pascal, Children’s Trust Director of Home Visiting
Without the generous support from the Children’s Trust, I would not be able to envision a community without the Nurturing Fathers Program. Also, to see the impact programs like this have on the fathers, families and the community is rewarding.
Vuthy Chum, Nurturing Fathers Program Facilitator, Hampshire County House of Corrections
The presence of fathers can change everything
33%
Highly involved fathers have children who are 33% less likely than other children to repeat a grade.
U.S Dept. of Education study, Nord, C., & West, J. (2001)
43%
Highly involved fathers have children who are 43% more likely than other children to earn mostly A’s.
U.S Dept. of Education study, Nord, C., & West, J. (2001)
85%
of youth who exhibit behavioral disorders are from a fatherless home.
Urban Leadership Institute’s Dare to Be King (2006)
71%
of high school dropouts are from a fatherless home.
Urban Leadership Institute’s Dare to Be King (2006)
75%
of all youth in chemical abuse centers are from a fatherless home.
Urban Leadership Institute’s Dare to Be King (2006)
Upcoming Fatherhood Trainings
Listen In: The Children’s Trust Recently Appeared on Two Podcasts to Talk About Father Engagement
In two recent podcast interviews, Steven Pascal, our Director of Home Visiting and leader of our fatherhood work, shares meaningful insights into why this work matters and how it’s improving family wellbeing.