Are you looking for actionable insights to promote father inclusion in your community? If so, have I got a solution for you!
The City of Baytown, Texas, in collaboration with National Fatherhood Initiative® (NFI), has embarked on a comprehensive city-wide initiative to promote father inclusion. The backbone of this initiative is NFI’s Community Mobilization Approach™ (CMA), a structured framework implemented in various states, counties, and cities across the United States, including Texas, Indiana, Ohio, Rhode Island, Prince George’s County (MD), Wapello County (IA), Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, and Sioux Falls.
The CMA has three phases:
- Phase 1: Conducting a needs and assets assessment.
- Phase 2: Hosting a Leadership Summit on Fatherhood.
- Phase 3: Implementing an action plan formulated by a diverse cross-section of the community.
The culmination of Phase 1 is documented in the Rapid Ethnographic Assessment of Programs and Services (REAPS) for Fathers report. It plays a crucial role by providing detailed insights and guidance for the subsequent phases.
Baytown’s Phase I
In implementing Phase I, NFI staff and city leaders gathered comprehensive data on fatherhood programs and services in Baytown. These data formed the foundation of a REAPS report that will help city leaders identify and address key areas to promote father inclusion and focus on several critical objectives:
- Addressing Father Absence: One of the primary goals of Phase I is to highlight the need to address father absence in Baytown. This includes a choice by city leaders to emphasize the reduction of drug and opioid misuse, which has a negative impact on families and communities and is linked to father absence.
- Identifying Existing Services and Gaps: The REAPS report provides a detailed overview of the services and programs currently available to fathers in the greater Baytown area. It also identifies gaps in these services, offering a clear picture of areas that require development to better support fathers and their families.
- Mobilizing Community Assets: By identifying the assets within the Baytown area that city leaders can mobilize, the REAPS report outlines potential resources and support systems they can leverage to promote responsible fatherhood. This includes community organizations, healthcare providers, educational institutions, and more.
- Developing Strategies: The REAPS report includes potential strategies to integrate the promotion of responsible fatherhood into the social fabric of Baytown. These strategies will foster a community-wide approach, ensuring that various sectors work together to support fathers.
- Attracting Funding: Another key objective of Phase I is collecting critical information to attract funds. By providing detailed data and analysis, the REAPS report makes a compelling case for securing financial support for a sustainable city-wide fatherhood initiative.
Components of the Phase I Methodology
The methodology used in Phase I involved four main components:
- Gathering Secondary Data: The initial step involved NFI staff and city leaders collecting existing data relevant to fatherhood programs and services in Baytown. This secondary data provided a foundational understanding of the current landscape.
- Conducting Focus Groups: NFI conducted focus groups with leaders from different sectors to gather qualitative data and insights. These discussions identified community-specific challenges and opportunities.
- Analyzing Data and Reporting: NFI analyzed the secondary data and focus group results to produce a comprehensive report (the REAPS report). This analysis identified key themes, trends, and areas for action.
- Creating an Assets Map: Using the results from the previous components, NFI staff created a city “assets” map. This map visualizes the resources and gaps in Baytown, providing leaders with a strategic tool for planning and implementation.
Next Steps: Leadership Summit on Fatherhood and Action Plan
With the REAPS report complete, Baytown has moved into Phase 2 of the CMA: the Leadership Summit on Fatherhood (LSF). The LSF will convene leaders from various sectors to discuss the findings of the REAPS report and develop strategies to promote responsible fatherhood. The final phase involves implementing an action plan derived from the LSF, ensuring a collaborative and comprehensive approach to fostering father inclusion.
Conclusion
The partnership between the City of Baytown and NFI marks a significant step towards promoting responsible fatherhood. The REAPS report, as a cornerstone of Phase 1, provides crucial insights and guidance for developing effective fatherhood programs. By following the structured phases of the CMA, Baytown aims to create sustainable changes that support fathers, strengthen families, and enhance the overall well-being of the community.
NFI offers training and technical assistance on all three phases of the CMA, either separately or collectively. Visit our Collaborative Services webpage for more details and to schedule a meeting with NFI staff.
Does your community have an initiative focused on father inclusion?
How can you use the Phase I methodology to start a community fatherhood initiative or enhance your existing one?
