This year’s Father’s Day might have just passed, but joint efforts to achieve the Responsible Fatherhood Programs have just begun to take place.
The Obama administration recently announced plans to set up a new Fatherhood, Marriage, and Families Innovation Fund to support and strengthen ties between noncustodial fathers and their children nationwide. President Obama, whose father returned to Africa when he was two, said that he could feel the absence of his father throughout his childhood in this year’s Father’s Day message.
The Responsible Fatherhood Programs are carried out all over the country via services from the federal government and various organizations. The goal is to provide help to noncustodial fathers, particularly new and low-income fathers, so that they can spend more time interacting and communicating with their children.
Research funded by the Administration for Children and Families shows that shared parenting helps give a child confidence and encouragement, which can lead to a better academic performance in all grades.
Oftentimes, noncustodial fathers grew up in families without fathers as well. Many of them quit school and became fathers themselves at a young age. The programs emphasize teaching teenage fathers how to raise and communicate with children, and at the same time assist them in finding employment, education, and housing.
Along with the Obama administration, Michael Bloomberg, mayor of New York City, also announced new services that will be carried out citywide to rebuild ties between noncustodial fathers and their children. The services include interactive activities for young fathers and their children, workshops and education opportunities, housing, and health support for pregnant partners. The mayor pointed out that 32 percent of children under 17 in New York spent a significant time without their fathers at home.
Among the new services, CUNY will offer development and health workshops for young fathers. These workshops can equip the young fathers with simple technology communicative skills.
Quite a few nonprofit organizations in New York City also work closely with the government and provide services funded by the Responsible Fatherhood Programs to special groups of noncustodial fathers. The Puerto Rican Family Institute for example, assists young noncustodial fathers with Puerto Rican backgrounds. The mayor indicated that 43 percent of Latino American children grew up in fatherless households.
Another organization, The Fortune Society, supports incarcerated fathers to quickly reconnect with their family and community after discharge.
Glenn Martin, the vice president of Development and Public Affairs for the Fortune Society, has worked intensively to help fathers with criminal records. He pointed out that the challenges often lie between a lack of connection and communication. Oftentimes incarcerated fathers come from families with low income, which gives them little possibility to afford transportation home for visits. As time goes by, family ties become less important and they thus feel difficulties and unmotivated to reconnect with their families again after release. The Fortune Society provides programs that help these fathers with finding affordable housing, activities, and workshops to re-establish the connection with their children.
Mr. Martin told The Epoch Times that more transportation services should be provided at prisons so that family visits can happen more often, as most New York prisoners are far from the city. Other communication tools such as e-mail and telephone should also be of easier access to prisoners.
According to Martin, while a good number of incarcerated fathers are teenagers, most of those receiving services at the center are between 16 to 29 years old.
Whether the programs will make a significant change remains however to be a question.
Nineteen-year-old college student Miss Wu grew up in a fatherless household since she was 6 also gave her opinions to the Epoch Times. At a younger age, the absence of one parent and the fact that her father was not willing to give much child support left Miss Wu’s family in a difficult financial situation. When asked if interactive activity programs would help them to know each other better, Miss Wu said, “Yes, definitely.” However as she grew up and after her father formed a new family, it is more the fact that they have little in common, which makes her father feel unmotivated to take the initiative.
As President Obama said, “I can’t legislate fatherhood. I can’t force anybody to love a child,” governmental support can provide an access to better communication between noncustodial fathers and their children, while the key for being responsible fathers lies within the heart.
The Obama administration recently announced plans to set up a new Fatherhood, Marriage, and Families Innovation Fund to support and strengthen ties between noncustodial fathers and their children nationwide. President Obama, whose father returned to Africa when he was two, said that he could feel the absence of his father throughout his childhood in this year’s Father’s Day message.
The Responsible Fatherhood Programs are carried out all over the country via services from the federal government and various organizations. The goal is to provide help to noncustodial fathers, particularly new and low-income fathers, so that they can spend more time interacting and communicating with their children.
Research funded by the Administration for Children and Families shows that shared parenting helps give a child confidence and encouragement, which can lead to a better academic performance in all grades.
Oftentimes, noncustodial fathers grew up in families without fathers as well. Many of them quit school and became fathers themselves at a young age. The programs emphasize teaching teenage fathers how to raise and communicate with children, and at the same time assist them in finding employment, education, and housing.
Along with the Obama administration, Michael Bloomberg, mayor of New York City, also announced new services that will be carried out citywide to rebuild ties between noncustodial fathers and their children. The services include interactive activities for young fathers and their children, workshops and education opportunities, housing, and health support for pregnant partners. The mayor pointed out that 32 percent of children under 17 in New York spent a significant time without their fathers at home.
Among the new services, CUNY will offer development and health workshops for young fathers. These workshops can equip the young fathers with simple technology communicative skills.
Quite a few nonprofit organizations in New York City also work closely with the government and provide services funded by the Responsible Fatherhood Programs to special groups of noncustodial fathers. The Puerto Rican Family Institute for example, assists young noncustodial fathers with Puerto Rican backgrounds. The mayor indicated that 43 percent of Latino American children grew up in fatherless households.
Another organization, The Fortune Society, supports incarcerated fathers to quickly reconnect with their family and community after discharge.
Glenn Martin, the vice president of Development and Public Affairs for the Fortune Society, has worked intensively to help fathers with criminal records. He pointed out that the challenges often lie between a lack of connection and communication. Oftentimes incarcerated fathers come from families with low income, which gives them little possibility to afford transportation home for visits. As time goes by, family ties become less important and they thus feel difficulties and unmotivated to reconnect with their families again after release. The Fortune Society provides programs that help these fathers with finding affordable housing, activities, and workshops to re-establish the connection with their children.
Mr. Martin told The Epoch Times that more transportation services should be provided at prisons so that family visits can happen more often, as most New York prisoners are far from the city. Other communication tools such as e-mail and telephone should also be of easier access to prisoners.
According to Martin, while a good number of incarcerated fathers are teenagers, most of those receiving services at the center are between 16 to 29 years old.
Whether the programs will make a significant change remains however to be a question.
Nineteen-year-old college student Miss Wu grew up in a fatherless household since she was 6 also gave her opinions to the Epoch Times. At a younger age, the absence of one parent and the fact that her father was not willing to give much child support left Miss Wu’s family in a difficult financial situation. When asked if interactive activity programs would help them to know each other better, Miss Wu said, “Yes, definitely.” However as she grew up and after her father formed a new family, it is more the fact that they have little in common, which makes her father feel unmotivated to take the initiative.
As President Obama said, “I can’t legislate fatherhood. I can’t force anybody to love a child,” governmental support can provide an access to better communication between noncustodial fathers and their children, while the key for being responsible fathers lies within the heart.
