The Network accomplishes the mission by:

• Informing community agencies throughout the state of the need and benefit of providing services to fathers as part of serving families;

• Maintaining information on, promoting, and encouraging fatherhood and family-strengthening priorities in the state;

• Providing opportunities for networking and information sharing among fatherhood practitioners, family support service providers, and other interested stakeholders;

• Enhancing the capacity of fatherhood practitioners and family support service providers to provide programs and services that will strengthen families across the economic and cultural diversity represented in the state;

• Building the profession of fatherhood practitioners and other family support service providers working to increase the responsible involvement of fathers in the lives of their children;

• Promoting the establishment and expansion of fatherhood programs and services;

• Maintaining awareness of state legislation that affects fathers and educating legislators on fatherhood issues;

• Increasing the public awareness of fatherhood involvement and family strengthening issues; and

• Providing leadership and direction to the development of an active and effective statewide coalition of individuals and organizations committed to strengthening Minnesota’s families through the increased involvement of fathers in the lives of children

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What we value and believe at the Minnesota Fathers & Families Network:

• MFFN embraces fathers, children, and the father-child relationship as the key beneficiaries of our work.

• MFFN values fathers as an essential resource for building strong families and for encouraging child growth and development.

• MFFN believes fathers and mothers both have primary responsibility for supporting, nurturing and guiding their children’s learning and development.

• MFFN believes fathers and mothers merit equal opportunities to enhance and develop their capacity as responsible, engaged parents.

• MFFN recognizes diversity among Minnesotans and the different cultural norms regarding family structure, family formation, and co-parenting relationships.

• MFFN embraces communities without regard to race, ability, color, creed, religion, gender, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, veteran status, or sexual orientation.

• MFFN values education as a means to counteract negative stereotypes about fatherhood and to promote positive male socialization.

• MFFN encourages evidence based programming for fathers and families.

• MFFN believes that an effective fatherhood practitioner models positive behavior learns from personal/professional experience, seek formal educational credentialing, and interacts with supportive peer networks.

• MFFN supports father-friendly legislation that positively impacts how state agencies and organizations assist fathers.

• MFFN convenes a statewide nonpartisan membership network in order to support Minnesota’s fathers and families.

• MFFN uses innovation and appropriate technology to reach and involve our constituencies.

• MFFN believes that, in order for children and families to thrive, the whole community – families, individuals, non-profits, public systems, policy makers, the private sector, and funders – needs to work in partnership and collaboration. (Updated June 2010.)

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Click Here to See our Strategic Framework