Why NFI’s New Fatherhood Workshop is a Hit

I want to share some good news about our new 24/7 Dad^® Key Behaviors Workshop, the most recent addition to our lineup of father-involvement resources.

But before I do, here’s a description of it.

What is It?

A short-length workshop.

Organizations can offer the eight-hour 24/7 Dad^® Key Behaviors Workshop:

• As precursor to NFI’s evidence-based 24/7 Dad^® program (A.M. or P.M. version) or any other fatherhood program.
• To graduates of the 24/7 Dad^® program (either version) or any other fatherhood program.
• As a stand-alone workshop to dads who have never participated in a fatherhood program or workshop.

Dads learn the importance of developing and applying the following 12 key behaviors of the 24/7 Dad. Each of the first 10 behaviors, in sets of two, are associated with one of the five characteristics, or traits, of the 24/7 Dad as described in that program: Self-Awareness, Caring for Self, Fathering Skills, Parenting Skills, and Relationship Skills.

1. Works with an Accountability Partner or Partners (Self-Awareness)
2. Reflects on a Weekly Basis (Self-Awareness)
3. Takes Care of Physical Health on a Regular Basis (Caring for Self)
4. Takes Care of Emotional/Mental Health on a Regular Basis (Caring for Self)
5. Develops Skills that Reflect His Role in the Family (Fathering Skills)
6. Models Healthy Masculinity (Fathering Skills)
7. Disciplines His Children in Healthy Ways (Parenting Skills)
8. Nurtures His Children (Parenting Skills)
9. Communicates Well with Mom and Their Children (Relationship Skills)
10. Builds and Maintains a Good Relationship with Mom (Relationship Skills)
11. Pays It Forward
12. Engages with His Community

The last two behaviors are additional behaviors dads develop after they develop and apply the first 10.

When offered as a follow-up to participants in 24/7 Dad^®, this workshop deepens the learning of those dads. When offered to dads who have not participated in 24/7 Dad^® or any other program or workshop for dads, this workshop serves as an initial foray into becoming a better dad.

Feedback from Dads and Facilitators

Before we launched the workshop this past July, we received a one-year grant to provide the workshop curriculum and training to 30 organizations across the country for free. These organizations committed to provide quantitative and qualitative data to National Fatherhood Initiative^® (NFI) throughout the grant period that we can share and use to improve subsequent editions of the workshop.

Based on feedback from the first of two reports that each organization will deliver to NFI, we couldn't be more pleased with the initial reaction from workshop facilitators and the dads who attended the workshop.

• 204 dads attended the workshop between September 1st and October 31st.
• Three themes emerged from the dads' feedback: 1) they appreciated that the workshop is designed specifically for dads; 2) they appreciated the opportunity to attend a workshop with other dads; and 3) the content of the workshop is relevant and practical.
• Facilitators reported that the workshop is easy to deliver and is flexible, allowing for virtual and in-person delivery. They were particularly pleased with the workshop’s videos and PowerPoint slide deck.

That facilitators were able to deliver the workshop to more than 200 dads during the pandemic speaks to the workshop's flexibility. Indeed, more than half of the dads (133) attended a virtually-delivered workshop. 

The feedback addressed two other hallmarks of the workshop's flexibility, as well as, its practicality. The content is relevant for dads who have and have not participated in a fatherhood program and facilitators can easily deliver it to groups of dads and to only one dad at a time. (The Facilitator's Manual includes separate guides for delivering the workshop in both situations.)

• Exactly one-half of the dads had never participated in a fatherhood program. Of those dads who had participated in a fatherhood program, 76 percent had participated in 24/7 Dad^®(A.M. or P.M. version) while 24 percent had participated in another fatherhood program.
• While the majority of dads participated in a group setting (84 percent), 16 percent of the dads received one-on-one instruction.

If you haven't looked into the 24/7 Dad^® Key Behaviors Workshop, I encourage you to do so. Click here for details on its content, samples of the curriculum, and how to acquire it. And if you'd like to speak with us about it, don't hesitate to contact our resource center or any staff member.

Could your organization use a short-length fatherhood offering?

Would your organization like to offer a flexible, practical, and relevant fatherhood workshop?