Success Story: Dads Matter Project

The Dads Matter Project has been able to reach over 150 fathers and families in their community!  See how they used the 24/7 Dad™ fatherhood program to successfully engage and educate fathers:

Organization Name: Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette, Inc.
Location: Uniontown, PA
Facilitator: Bill Huebner, Dads Matter Project Supervisor

About Private Industry Council (PIC):

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates employment, education, and training programs in Southwestern Pennsylvania, PIC has offices throughout both two counties to assist youth, adults, dislocated workers, and the economically disadvantaged in attaining educational achievement, supporting their family growth, and obtaining and retaining employment.

PIC operates a total of 24 programs including Head Start, Early Head Start, a GED test center, in-school youth programs, out-of-school youth programs, job training, job search assistance, job placement, career counseling, adult education services, homeless prevention, and housing programs.

About The Dads Matter Project: 

Initiated in 2006 upon receipt of a federal grant which provides funding for parenting education, The Dads Matter Project serves men (and a few women) in the two-county area to help them become more involved in their children’s lives.  Facilitator Bill Huebner and his staff present 24/7 Dad™ to a group of parents (mostly fathers) who meet weekly.

To date, over 150 fathers have completed 24/7 Dad™! Bill Huebner, program facilitator, is very pleased with the results:

The 24/7 Dad™ sessions generate powerful discussions and help dads share their experiences and feelings.  The most significant outcomes of the program have been improvements in relationships between fathers and their children— and between fathers and the mothers of their children. Even in cases where there may not have been major changes in relationships, fathers report greater personal motivation to improve relationships and report having gained greater understanding of their potential positive contribution to the lives of their children.

Program Strategies

Recruitment Strategies:

• Visiting various social service and faith-based organizations in the community to present on 24/7 Dad™ and the entire range of services offered by the Dads Matter Project.
  
• Encouraging current and former participants to advertise the program by word of mouth.
• Offering incentives (gift cards, free events for dads and kids, certificates of completion) for participation.
• Publicizing the program through the various community agencies and organizations by distributing printed flyers.
  
• Working closely with half-way houses that refer fathers.
• Providing parenting education/training to foster parents who are sent by the county administered child welfare agency.

Retention Strategies:

• Using engaging facilitators who are able to get dads to open up and participate in weekly discussions.
• Providing a light meal with weekly evening class meetings.
• Make sure the fathers feel like their voices are heard.
• Encouraging and thanking fathers for participating in the program.
• Making attendance expectations manageable for fathers by presenting most of the material in 6 weeks.

Funding Strategies:

Funding for the Dads Matter Project is provided primarily by a federal grant along with other supplemental fundraising efforts.

Learn more about how you can get started using 24/7 Dad™ today!