Mission
The mission of The Fatherhood Project is to provide education, mentorship, and resources that enable fathers to reunite with their children and maintain healthy relationships.
The Need
The negative issues associated with “absentee, uninvolved or deadbeat fathers” resulting in female-headed, single-parent homes (families) have been well-documented in the media and government publications. The negative consequence of this phenomenon creates economic, sociological, and political problems (challenges) that significantly contribute to other social ills such as juvenile delinquency (criminal justice issues), substance abuse, and domestic violence. Unfortunately, there are a limited number of programs that provide a bridge to reunification for fathers who are denied or have limited access to their children. This is particularly true, and even more challenging, for fathers who have a criminal record (due to legal circumstances).
The Solution
The Fatherhood Project (TFP) was established to reduce the number of absent fathers by supporting motivated fathers in reestablishing and maintaining healthy relationships with their children. More specifically, The Fatherhood Project provides fathers who have a misdemeanor criminal record with a path to having their criminal records expunged. This includes providing them with a wide range of educational, social and mental health resources that will empower them to be consistently present and positive influences as a parent while simultaneously fulfilling all of their obligations to the court.
The Fatherhood Project (TFP) has developed a holistic intervention model that provides case management, education, advocacy, and mentorship (support) to fathers who have a desire to maintain an active role in the lives of their children. The implementation and Program Design of our Intervention Model consists of a 3-Phase approach:
Education
Upon successful completion of an Intake Assessment, all fathers are assigned a Case Manager who provides resource referrals and enrolls in a 10-week workshop that addresses a myriad of essential parenting, social, and life skills.
Mentorship
Upon completion of the 11-week workshop, fathers (program participants) are assigned a Mentor to provide encouragement and social skill support for a minimum of 1 year.
Family Engagement
The Father, Case Manager, and Mentor jointly develop and implement a plan for the father to reunify with children they have lost contact with or to build stronger, healthier bonds and greater frequency and consistency of contact in currently existing relationships with their children.
Team Members
Pastor Mike Hatch, M DIV.
Reverend Dean M. Sanner, M.A., MFT, NCC
Monique Harris, LCSW
Aaron Hansel, Pastor
John L. Carter Jr. P.H.D
Robin Joyce
Anthony Parnell, MSW
Dr. Kevin Odor