I get asked this question often during my trainings. My answer is always an emphatic, “Yes!”
I see many examples of successful fatherhood groups facilitated by women. In fact, you can find some of these facilitators on our Stories of Impact page. Check out the videos called Maine DOC, Fatherhood Initiative, and Fresno EOC.
These women are successful not because of their gender, but because they are good facilitators. They are comfortable working with men. They know how to build trust with the men in their groups. They connect with dads by tapping into the experiences they’ve had with their own fathers and fathers of their children. And they use evidence-based programs, such as 24/7 Dad® and InsideOut Dad®, shown to have positive outcomes with fathers.
Some fathers also benefit from hearing a women’s perspective on his challenges (e.g. can ask questions about how to better communicate with a woman).
So, if you’re a woman and have doubts that you can run a fatherhood group, doubt no more. NFI offers many fatherhood facilitator trainings, tools, and resources to help you be successful. I recommend our online Effective Facilitation Certificate™, our evidence-based and evidence-informed programs, and our Facilitator Trainings that will equip you with everything you need to successfully facilitate a fatherhood group.
Does your organization have any women facilitating your fatherhood groups?
If so, how have the fathers responded?
Interested in learning more about how to train females to facilitate your organization's fatherhood programs? Check out our eBook "How to Train Female Staff to Effectively Engage Fathers".
