The FREE Father Friendly Check-Up™

WELCOME TO THE FATHER FRIENDLY CHECK-UP™!

Now in its 7th edition, the Father Friendly Check-Up™ (FFCU) helps organizations assess how well their culture and operations encourage the inclusion of fathers in programs and services (hereafter referred to as “father inclusion").

The FFCU was created by National Fatherhood Initiative® (NFI) in 2000, and NFI has refined it over 20 years. Key refinements came from the five-year National Responsible Fatherhood Capacity-Building Initiative (NRFCBI), funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from 2006 to 2011. NFI worked with nearly 125 diverse organizations nationwide to build their capacity to serve fathers, using the FFCU to measure progress.

NFI has continued refining it based on feedback from other organizations, including child support enforcement, home visiting programs, Head Starts, child welfare agencies, community action agencies, pregnancy care centers, schools, public health departments, and military family support programs. It has effectively increased father inclusion in programs and services, resulting in greater father involvement in children's lives. NFI released the seventh edition in 2024.

WHAT IS FATHER INCLUSION?

Father inclusion means that an organization is:

• Intentional and proactive in involving dads in their interactions with families
• Has an environment that welcomes fathers
• Provides father-specific programs, services, or other resources that speak to dads in their unique role as a father.

Practically, it means that an organization has one or more father-inclusive efforts.

WHY USE THIS TOOL?

To Build a Foundation for Father Inclusion
The FFCU will help your organization start or enhance its father inclusion by assessing its current culture and readiness to serve them. This will ensure a solid foundation for effective father inclusion.

To Improve Child Well-Being
Understanding that father involvement in children’s lives is crucial, the FFCU will support your organization’s efforts to help fathers become more engaged, responsible, and committed. This will ultimately benefit children's development and help mothers and fathers balance family and work responsibilities.

A One-of-a-Kind Comprehensive Assessment
The 130-item FFCU will comprehensively assess your organization’s father friendliness in four categories.

• Leadership Development: Assesses the attitudes, beliefs, and values of leadership around father inclusion and their impact on program delivery.
• Organizational Development: Assesses policies and procedures, physical environment, and staff development and training on father inclusion.
• Program Development: Assesses how well programs, staff providing programs, and promotion and marketing support father inclusion.
• Community Engagement: Assesses activities your organization initiates or joins to promote father inclusion and involvement in the community.

WHO SHOULD COMPLETE THE FATHER FRIENDLY CHECK-UP™?

You and multiple staff at your organization!

While you may be well-positioned to assess your organization, involving staff at different levels and roles provides a comprehensive perspective. This can include executives, program managers, front-line staff, support staff, clients, board members, and community partners. Comparing these assessments will give a complete picture of your organization's father-friendliness.

JUST ONE MORE STEP BEFORE YOU BEGIN!

Please take the following steps before you complete the FFCU:

• Set aside at least 1 hour to complete the FFCU. If you can’t complete it in one sitting, you'll have to start over, as your work won’t be saved.
• Watch this short video from NFI Chief Partner Success Officer Erik Vecere. Erik shares a few tips on completing the assessment.

It’s time to take your Father Friendly Check-Up™!