Sacramento Head Start Alumni Association

Model Male and Father-Involvement Initiatives

Jan 30, 2002

http://www.nhsa.org/parents/parents_father_pinellas.htm
Pinellas County Head Start
Site Staff
Sites
Accepting the Leadership Challenge (ALC)
Man In Black (MIB)
Male Discussion Group
A Male and Father-Involvement Event

Site Staff
Kevin Johnson, program facilitator/parent involvement specialist and 1992 Accepting the Leadership Challenge (ALC) Male Involvement Program graduate
Jim Hollister, family services worker

Sites
Pinellas County Head Start Administrative Office, 6698 68th Avenue, North, Pinellas Park, FL 34644, William S. Fillmore, director French Villas Head Start Center The William S. Fillmore Head Start Center, Audrey Myrick, cluster director Woodlawn Head Start Center

Pinellas County Head Start has three initiatives in place to encourage and enhance father involvement.

Accepting the Leadership Challenge (ALC)
Accepting the Leadership Challenge, a male involvement program developed in collaboration with Alpha Phi Alpha Inc. and operated in conjunction with Hillsborough County Head Start (Donna Glausser, director).

Group Size
20 participants in Pinellas Park and 20 in Hillsborough County.

Operating since
1992.

Term
Eight Months.

ALC participants are involved in workshops, retreats, educational field trips, family outings, breakfasts, community service projects, surveys designed to assess their inner motivation and values, the Black and Gold Ball, and a Rite of Passage Ceremony.

Pinellas County Head Start staff's objective is for ALC participants to:
leave the program with increased self-esteem; are able to set realistic goals; improve interviewing skills and employment readiness; develop strategies for being better parents; gain knowledge of life skills for improved physical and mental well-being; stabilize the home environment for the Head Start child; and develop tools to face the challenges of family, community, vocational, and civic leadership.

Man In Black (MIB)
Man In Black is a male enhancement program, which seeks to increase male involvement in the Head Start program by establishing a strong male presence in the Head Start centers so that children can come in contact with positive male role models.

Group Size
Varies. Summer 1999, eight participants.

Operating Since
January 1999.

MIB participants attend a volunteer orientation, which prepares them for involvement in monthly activities at one of the program's 16 Head Start centers. There they read stories to children, develop and participate in outside recreation. They play with Head Start children, perform building and maintenance projects, attend field trips, help in classrooms, and share their own enriching interests with the children.

Male Discussion Group
Male Discussion Group is an enhancement program developed to increase the participation of fathers and significant others in the Head Start program. It is designed to strengthen the role men take in their families and to better their communities.

Group Size
Varies, but lowest number of participants has been four.

Operating Since
April 1997.

Open discussion of issues such as interpersonal relationship skills, child support laws, parenting skills, and employment issues occur in the Male Discussion Groups. Male empowerment through strengthening bonds with families, increasing self-esteem, improving parenting, and developing leadership skills are expected outcomes.

A Male and Father-Involvement Event
Event
Man In Black Parents Morning Out: Presentation to Mayor David Fischer making him an honorary member of the program.

Participants
Twenty five Woodlawn Head Start students, three Woodlawn Head Start parent volunteers, four Woodlawn Head Start staff and nine other adults including NHSA staff.

Program Length
1 hour.

Activities
The Mayor, site staff, and four MIB participants read or told stories to the children. A guitar sing-a-long, a "circle dance," and a frog puppet trick enlivened the event.


http://www.nhsa.org/parents/parents_father_macon.htm
Macon-Bibb County EOCI Head Start
Site Staff
Sites
Father and Families Reunification Project
The FAFRP Conference
Macon-Bibb County EOCI Head Start Facts
What Has Really Worked in the Macon-Bibb Male-Involvement/Fatherhood Initiative?
Macon-Bibbs?’ Fathers?’ Greatest Needs?
What Has Macon-Bibb Staff Learned from Working with Men/Fathers?
What Mistakes Has Macon-Bibb Made Which May Benefit Other Head Start Agencies?

Site Staff
Pamela E. Brown, director
General Reid, (acting) Fatherhood Case Manager

Sites
Macon-Bibb County EOCI Head Start Center, 2312 Shurling Drive, Macon, Georgia 31211
The Bibb County Teen Parent Center, Third and Bay Streets, Macon, Georgia
Macon Housing Authority, Felton Avenue, Macon, Georgia
The Alternative Center, Hollis Road, Macon, Georgia
Macon-Bibb County EOCI Head Start Fathers and Families Reunification Project (FAFRP)

Father and Families Reunification Project
FAFRP is a pioneering resource partnership designed to foster close and accountable parenting choices and a foundation of family self-sufficiency among non-supportive, absent fathers. Its goal is to strengthen the family.

FAFRP Partners
Macon-Bibb County EOCI Head Start
Bibb/Monroe County Department of Family and Children Services (DFACS) Child Support/Recovery Unit
The Middle Georgia Consortium Inc
The Journey Foundation
Bibb County Health Department

Macon-Bibb EOCI Head Start is the partnership?’s "center," providing a safe and trusted environment for reconnecting wayward fathers, willing children, and ?‘reluctant?’ custodial mothers.

The Journey Foundation facilitators spend an entire year onsite providing project support and teaching their Closing the Distance fatherhood curriculum.

DFACS offers initial referral and client follow-up.

The Middle Georgia Consortium delivers employability assessment, job/skills training, and placement services.

Target Population
Non-custodial fathers.

Size
The program is designed to serve 75 zip-code specific families.

Operating Since
October 1997.

Term
One year.

Program Components

Client Identification and Referral;
Twelve-Week Parenting Curriculum;
Employability Assessment, Job Training, and Placement;
Fathers?’ Support Group;
Custodial Parent Forum (Mothers); and
Client Follow-Up/Data Collection.
Practices

Each of the project?’s two 12-week sessions begin with a two and one-half day retreat which prepares fathers, facilitators, and Head Start staff for the challenges that lie ahead.

Thirty days into the fatherhood course work, participants begin the Vocational Assessment/Job Training. Fathers are required to spend a pre-determined number of hours on the Head Start site in prescribed father/child activities, are given a select number of ongoing, independent parenting assignments, receive one-on-one counseling, videotaped progress evaluations, home visits, lifestyle assessments/intervention, and father/child group outings.

At the end of the 12-week session, the father is required to attend a weekly facilitated support group of newly responsible fathers and must complete an additional 20 hours of parenting education. During this period, Head Start staff continues to evaluate, support, and guide the father?’s parenting efforts and monitor work place performance for needed support or intervention.

Fathers are strongly encouraged, additionally, to volunteer as sponsors to fathers entering the first phase of the project.

Bi-monthly, a Custodial Mother?’s Forum takes place to address questions or concerns of custodial parents whose children participate in the project.

Assessment data is collected and updated regularly extending throughout the length of the project.

The FAFRP Conference
This two-day weekend conference focuses on the Closing the Distance fatherhood curriculum. Geared to fathers and regional social service providers, the conference offers budget-friendly concepts, interactive teaching tools, accountability-enhancement strategies, and luncheon and dinner projects that depart from standard keynote formats but celebrate families and fatherhood.

In addition to Macon-Bibb, other FAFRP partners include:
Alpha Phi Alpha and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternities
100 Black Men of Macon
City of Macon
Head Start Migrant Program
Macon Bar Association
Macon Telegraph
Mt. Moriah Baptist Church
St. Paul A.M.E. Church
Sheftall Federated Boys Club
WMAZ Television Station

In October 1999, in collaboration with The Alternative Center, Macon-Bibb EOCI conducted the Right Choice and Boys to Men Projects. These are 12-week programs serving youth on probation, aged 10-19 years old, in the areas of prevention and parenting skills.

Macon-Bibb County EOCI Head Start Facts
Serves 666 children at three centers and three scattered sites.
Has 140 staff members.
Has operated the father involvement initiative for four years.
Receives local, state, and federal funding.
Major successes: 42 previously unemployed men are now employed.
10 men have established paternity.
25 men are participating in child support.
Six men have received the General Education Equivalency (G.E.D.).
Five men have entered into military service.
Tried working with the penal system to reduce or rescind sentences of fathers likely to return to the family structure and become personally and economically responsible or at least provide support. This will be tried again.

Major barriers: Inadequate public transportation from rural areas to services and to jobs that provide a livable wage.

Father involvement staff receives in-service training. Also, the entire staff receives training in working with men/fathers. The fatherhood case manager and The Journey Foundation do in-service training for all staff.

Macon-Bibb considers itself very father-friendly. Males, both paid and volunteer, are represented in every area of the program. Literature and images affirming male involvement are posted and found throughout the program. There are special meeting areas, activities, and spaces in general to welcome and accommodate fathers.

Father figures, coaches, and mentors from the community are present at Macon-Bibb. The program has intergenerational male involvement. Children who are not represented by fathers at functions are provided with male role models through the Adopt a Male Role Model Program.

Resources frequently requested by Macon-Bibb fathers and men are job training and jobs, mediation, a safe place to visit with their children, information and education on how to participate with young children, and information on community resources.

What Has Really Worked in the Macon-Bibb Male-Involvement/Fatherhood Initiative?
Outreach activities for mentors and fathers through word of mouth, fliers, public service announcements, newsletters, and bulletins have helped keep the community informed of activities and bring in new clients
Innovation is needed in program planning, funding, and outreach. Therefore, forming partnerships and collaborations added to Macon-Bibb's success.
Public service announcements are useful tools in outreach efforts.
Men at Macon-Bibb have asked to explore issues related to child support, paternity establishment, and paternal coaching.

Macon-Bibbs?’ Fathers?’ Greatest Needs?
Training and job skills.
To become personally and economically responsible for themselves and their children.
What Has Macon-Bibb Staff Learned from Working with Men/Fathers?
Fathers?’ issues need thorough assessment and appropriate referrals.
It's important to work as pro-actively with men as with women. The staff believe it is necessary to give men strategies to deal with issues that prevent personal and economic development.
Men sometimes have pride issues and don?’t want to, or don?’t know how to, ask for help when they are with their peers. Pride issues need to be addressed and some one-on-one work is important.
Activities which take place around meal functions and are held on weekends draw larger audiences and are very successful.
When possible, invite mothers and children?’s siblings to events to further the holistic family approach.
A breakdown in communications makes individuals less effective.
An all or nothing approach is needed. Management, consultants, staff, and volunteers need to take a unified and systematic approach to effect change in fathers and males.
Macon-Bibb needs more practitioner training for father-involvement staff and more money to meet the initiative?’s goals.
What Mistakes Has Macon-Bibb Made Which May Benefit Other Head Start Agencies?
They have not communicated as fully as possible. Communication among staff members is critical and must be built upon in order for the entire staff to understand the needs of

http://www.nhsa.org/parents/parents_father_bernadine.htm
St. Bernadine's Head Start
Site Staff
Sites
Responsible Choices Demonstration Project (RCD)
St. Bernadine?’s Men?’s Group
Job Fairs and Employment Workshops
St. Bernadine?’s Male Involvement Project
Male Involvement

Site Staff
Sheila Tucker, (former) program director
Anees Rahim, male involvement coordinator

Sites
St. Bernadine?­s Head Start and Adult Learning Center, 3814 Edmundson Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21229. Villa Louise Family Center, Casey Family Services Center, and the Park Heights Family Center.

Since 1982, St. Bernadine?’s Head Start has had various initiatives in place to encourage and enhance father/male involvement. The facility houses more than 200 children ?— the majority are Head Start students. Multicultural/family images and pictures of males are prominently displayed.

Responsible Choices Demonstration Project (RCD)
Responsible Choices Demonstration Project is an intensive and comprehensive prenatal/early infancy project that provides parenting education and support groups, family planning counseling, employment preparation and planning, life-skills training, and health education. Home visitation is utilized in conjunction with a core father-focused services component. St. Bernadine?­s is involved in this initiative in collaboration with the lead agency, Friends of the Family Inc., which has 12 years of experience. Other programs in collaboration with the initiative are: Associated Catholic Charities, BonSecours Baltimore Health System, Historic East Baltimore Community Action Coalition, and Family and Children?­s Services of Central Maryland.

The program is designed to serve families within five zip-code specific Baltimore, Maryland areas. (Prince George?’s County Department of Family Services?’ Healthy Families Prince George?’s County Initiative provides the same services in four zip-code specific Prince George?’s County areas.) Note: Prince George?’s County and Baltimore combined represent approximately 53 percent of the state?’s non-marital births.)

Objectives
Reduce the number of non-marital births,
Increase the rate of employment,
Reduce the need for temporary cash assistance, and
Increase long-term involvement of both parents in rearing their children.

Target Population
16-year-old and older first-time expectant fathers (males must be willing to participate) and mothers receiving cash assistance (or who grew up in a family receiving cash assistance).

Size
The program is designed to serve 75 zip-code specific families. Operating since November 1998.

Term
Three years.

St. Bernadine?’s Men?’s Group
Every Wednesday from 6-8 p.m., St. Bernadine?­s Men?­s Group meets. The intergenerational group (all programs at St. Bernadine?­s are intergenerational) meets for a roundtable discussion of fatherhood, education, employment, economic development, chemical dependency, and relationship issues. The group periodically hosts joint sessions with St. Bernadine?­s female Sista-Sista Group.

Target Population
Head Start fathers and intergenerational Baltimore community males. Size: Variable. Operating since 1982.

Job Fairs and Employment Workshops
Generally, they are scheduled in 6-8 week intervals. (One was held in conjunction with MCI-Worldcom.) Fifteen participants have been placed in jobs.

St. Bernadine?’s Male Involvement Project
Family mediation counseling, Economic Development Program, G.E.D. classes, and Early Childhood Certification classes.

Male Involvement
A special gathering of several regular male-involvement program participants included an overview of St. Bernadine?­s male/father-involvement staff and projects, including outreach activities.

Teenagers represented a majority at St. Bernadine?­s intergenerational 15-member, male focus group; three were Head Start fathers The oldest group participant was 83 and also a member of the Foster Grandparents in Head Start program. Two Calverton Middle School (Baltimore, Maryland) staff, Robert Parrish, Jr., M.Ed., and David Miller, M.Ed. facilitated group discussion. Later, the center?­s mostly female staff joined the discussion.