Fatherhood Summit Workshops 2005

Conference Plenary Keynote Sessions

United We Stand: The Role of Women in Advancing the Fatherhood Movement: Martha Farrell Erickson, Ph.D., Senior Fellow & Co-Chair, Presidential Initiative on Children, Youth & Families; Children, Youth & Family Consortium, University of Minnesota

Research on fatherhood points to a wide range of factors that support or hinder fathers' commitment to –- and positive engagement with –- their children. Many of those factors involve women. In the home, workplace, school, faith community, and other institutions that touch the lives of families and children, women play important roles in shaping attitudes and expectations about fatherhood and facilitating positive relationships between fathers and their children. Drawing on research and over 35 years of experience working with fathers, mothers and the professionals who serve them, Marti Erickson calls women to action on behalf of fatherhood, addressing the following questions: How can women be more intentional about advancing the fatherhood movement? What's in it for women? Why should men welcome women as partners in this work? What are potential pitfalls or red flags? For both women and men who work in the broad arena of family support, what specific steps can we take to help fathers recognize and live up to their full potential to support, guide and nurture their children from conception to adulthood? And particularly for parents saddled with a troubled history in their own childhood, how can we help both mothers and fathers come to grips with their history and move toward more positive ways of parenting the next generation? PowerPoint presentation notes, available here.

From Moynihan to "My Goodness" to Much More: Mitchell B. Pearlstein , Ph.D., President, Center of the American Experiment, Minneapolis

Propelled and emboldened in significant measure by Daniel Patrick Moynihan's brave scholarship in the mid-1960s on family breakdown, I've long devoted much of my own writing and speaking to the many destructive effects of widespread fatherlessness. I would like to think that my scholarly and policy work in this area has been helpful. I am very proud of my collaboration with terrific colleagues such as Wade Horn, David Blankenhorn, and others in giving birth and shape to a real fatherhood movement for our nation. But if truth be known, my own grasp of being a good father remained insufficiently personal -- too analytic and not nearly sacred enough, if you will -- until I became a stepfather myself to three teenage boys in 1991, and then an adoptive father to a five-year old girl in 1996. All of which is to say, we all have much to talk about. Learn about Dr. Pearlstein's work: http://www.amexp.org.

Helping men take a right turn toward success: Dwaine R. Simms , Systems Navigator, Right Turn Project, African American Men Project, Minneapolis

Nearly half of the 18-35 year old African American male population of Hennepin County is pulled over by police, booked and jailed each year. The Right Turn Project is a community response to this issue. The initiative is part of the African American Men Project which promotes leadership, policy-making and infrastructure building in areas of education, housing, family structure, health, economic empowerment, criminal justice, community involvement, fundraising and communications. During this session, Mr. Simms will explore the importance of this holistic approach to serving men. Mr. Simms will offer answers to a variety of questions including: What are the project challenges? What has been learned? How is the project making a difference? What implications might there be for this approach in other cultures and other areas of the state? Learn about the Right Turn Project online: http://www.aamp-mn.org/rightturn.htm.

Wednesday, 19 January 2005, 2:00 - 5:00 pm
Pre-Conference Training Sessions

Promoting fatherhood from childbirth through early parenting: Research and practice clearly support the importance of positive parenting on the healthy development of infants and young children. Learn how to talk to fathers about early childhood development and the value of father-child bonding. Exchange ideas about how to advocate for father involvement from childbirth through pre-school.

The dynamics of poverty and family formation: Low-income parents face a multitude of challenges in meeting the needs of their children and families. Participants will discuss options and resources available to address some of the individual, institutional and societal barriers that these parents face. Presenters will encourage attendees to share practices that have proven effective in helping families move toward self-sufficiency, parental stability and financial security.

Legal issues of parenting and paternity: What everyone who works with non-custodial dads needs to know: From the Recognition of Parentage and the Fathers’ Adoption Registry to Child Support, Custody and Parenting Time – the legal documents and issues for non-custodial parents can be daunting and tiresome. In this session, fatherhood advocates will explain how the laws affect fathers and how family services workers can be a resource for fathers and families.

Getting started: Creating father-friendly social services and educational programs: Social service agencies and educational programs are in a unique position to support and encourage the involvement of fathers and other men in the lives of children. Participants will discuss their roles in impacting change in behavior, attitudes and values toward creating more father-friendly environments.

Connecting rural dads with the services they need: Across Minnesota, fathers in rural counties and tribal communities struggle to find accessible services. And just as frequently, service organizations struggle to find men who will attend their programs. In this session, participants will discuss the difficulties of providing services in a manner that will attract men and meet their broad needs.

Fathers of teen children: How to help men “connect” to adolescents: Positive father-child relationships are vital to the wellbeing of children, including teens. Learn how you can support fathers and father-figures to help them maintain positive connections to their kids – even during the challenging years of adolescence.

Ready to assess: Using program evaluations to create better fathers’ services: How well is your organization or agency meeting the needs of local dads? This workshop will help social services practitioners assess their capacity to create father-friendly practices, policies, procedures and case management applications.

Transitioning from corrections: Helping fathers reconnect to families and communities: Men exiting state and county correctional facilities find a host of barriers to positive reunification with their children. In this session, learn how to help increase the chance of success for fathers and their kids.

Co-parenting dialogue: The issues and challenges faced by unmarried or divorcing parents: What does it take for parents to “keep in mind the best interests of the children” when they are going thru conflict in their relationship? Participants will discuss the key issues and challenges that – when addressed – can keep a healthy focus on the needs of the kids.

Diverse dads: Grandparents, gay/bi dads, and mentors: Oftentimes, “fatherhood” advocates tend to focus either on traditional two-parent households or on non-custodial dads. In this session, participants will talk about the importance of recognizing the diversity of fathers and father-figures who are helping to raise healthy kids.

Recruiting reluctant fathers: Outreach that works: Are you having trouble finding fathers who need (and want) the services you offer? Sometimes, the hardest part is getting men to enter the door of your organization. Learn how successful programs are pounding the pavement and recruiting fathers in nontraditional ways.

Dads and early literacy: This interactive workshop will examine research on fathers and early literacy and present resources and strategies for encouraging father involvement. These will include a revised Reading with Dad booklist and descriptions of Dads and Kids Book Clubs and Fathers Reading Every Day (FRED) programs.

Young mothers speak out about father-involvement: For a young unmarried father, a healthy father-child relationship is often contingent on maintaining a healthy relationship with the mother of his child. In this session, mothers will talk about what it takes for a young father to become a caring dad.

Minnesota Fatherhood & Family Services Summit Wed. - Thur. , January 19 - 20, 2005 St. Cloud, Minnesota

Minnesota Fatherhood & Family Services Summit
Wed. - Thur. , January 19 - 20, 2005
St. Cloud, Minnesota