FATHER Project Strategic Plan

2010 - 2011

Table of Contents:

Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………………………………2
Graphic version, Strategic Plan……………………………………………………………………………..3
Detailed version, Strategic Plan…………………………………………………………………………….4
Appendix A: List of people who participated in focus groups and interviews ……….5
Appendix B: FATHER Project Identity Statement……………………………………………….….Available upon request
Appendix C: Summary of input received from focus groups and interviews…...…...Available upon request

Contact:
FATHER Project
Goodwill/Easter Seals Minnesota
1600 E Lake St # 1
Minneapolis, MN 55407-1884

Guy Bowling, Program Manager

gbowling@goodwilleasterseals.org
(612) 724-3539

Andrew Freeberg, Director Quality and Evaluation

afreeberg@goodwilleasterseals.org
651-379-5874

1
Introduction

“The FATHER Project has been there for me, emotionally, more than anything--for everything that’s
happened in my life, job, child support, and work. I’ve gotten a lot of brothers out of the FATHER Pro-
ject. It helped me out with child support. Without the FATHER Project, I wouldn’t have been able to
make it.”
FATHER Project participant, in a strategic planning focus group

The FATHER Project offers services for low-income dads to help them support their children fi-
nancially, emotionally and physically. In 2009, the FATHER Project developed a strategic plan for the
next 2 years and beyond. The plan starts October 1, 2009 and continues through September 30,
2011. The plan also defines longer-term visions for 2012 and beyond. The FATHER Project is a ser-
vice of Goodwill/Easter Seals Minnesota, made possible through close collaboration with Hennepin
County Child Support, Central Minnesota Legal Services, Parents as Teachers/Meld, African American
Family Services, Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio (CLUES), The Division of Indian Work, Way
To Grow, Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE), Project for Pride in Living, and the Minnesota Fa-
thers & Families Network. The FATHER Project leadership placed a priority on establishing a strategic
plan now because current federal funding sources, which cover almost 80% of the costs, expire in
September of 2011. Sustainability of the FATHER Project beyond 2011 is the top issue.

Planning Process:
The FATHER Project made it a priority to include a large and diverse combination of partici-
pants, staff, partners, supporters, and other stakeholders in the strategic planning process. The FA-
THER Project conducted focus group and interviews with a total of 59 people in this process—
including all of the FATHER Project service providers, leadership from each partner organization, a
group of FATHER Project participants, and additional community stakeholders.
To begin the planning, the FATHER Project partners developed an Identity Statement, outlin-
ing the basic principles and services that define the program. After all of the focus groups and inter-
views were completed, staff and partners of the project came together for a retreat in June 2009 to
synthesize all of the input, relate the input to research about best practices, and then develop goals
and objectives for the future. A draft of the plan was circulated to stakeholders for feedback.
The FATHER Project contracted with Michael Bischoff, a strategic planning consultant, to fa-
cilitate the planning process. Andrew Freeberg (G/ESM), Guy Bowling (G/ESM), Melissa Froehle
(MFFN), and Paul Masiarchin (MFFN) met monthly with Michael to oversee the planning. In August
2009, this core planning team revised and finalized the strategic plan. As a part of the planning proc-
ess, Sarah Lageson was contracted with to complete a replication manual for the FATHER Project.
This manual will be used as a resource for expansion of the FATHER Project, as outlined in the strate-
gic plan.

Summary of input:
A complete summary of focus group and interviews input is available upon request. Areas of
input include:
Strengths of the current program; E.g., The FATHER Project has a holistic philosophy: It ad-
dresses all aspects—parenting, better yourself, etc.
Limitations; E.g., A need to really involve mothers, so effective co-parenting is supported.
Most important outcomes to pursue: E.g., Fathers feel valued as parents and see themselves
as essential to the healthy development of their children
External developments that will impact the FATHER Project; E.g.: When money gets tight,
programs return to their core services & “fathers” are no one’s core service.
Suggested goals for the next 3 years: This input was incorporated into the final plan, which is
attached.
2
 2010 - 2011 FATHER Project Strategic Plan

Mission of the FATHER Project

Empower fathers in overcoming barriers that prevent them from supporting their
children economically and emotionally.

Fiscal Year 2010 Goals:

• Expand awareness of the FATHER Project
and its message through a cohesive marketing
strategy
• Secure and sustain Minneapolis FATHER
Project, in a new building
• Make FATHER Project services even more
comprehensive and holistic

Fiscal Year 2011 Goals:

• Replicate the FATHER Project
in other MN communities
• Rigorously evaluate outcomes
for the long-term
• Advocate for cultural and sys-
temic changes that promote
responsible fatherhood

3
FATHER Project Strategic Plan: Detailed Version

Year 4: Oct 2009 – Sept 2010

1. Expand awareness of the FATHER Project and its message through a cohesive marketing strategy
a. Collaboratively develop and deliver common public education messages about the FATHER
Project and the importance of fatherhood
b. Integrate the messages of the FATHER Project, including positive work being done in partnership-
-in the marketing materials and activities of each partner
2. Secure and sustain Minneapolis site of the FATHER Project, in a new building
a. Find a larger space for the Minneapolis site of the FATHER Project that is more conducive to
multiple on-site services provided by G/ESM and partners
b. Develop a plan to secure funding to sustain services: Don’t get so big that it becomes hard to
sustain
c. Deepen and formalize existing partnerships based on the fundraising strategies that emerge,
including MOUs or written commitments about level/type of involvement
d. Get more public funding, including employment, education, and health funding
3. Make FATHER Project services even more comprehensive and holistic
a. Expand employment preparation, training, and educational opportunities for participants, both
inside and outside of G/ESM
b. Partner with Project for Pride in Living to expand temporary housing options for dads
c. Create vehicles for fathers to support one another and change their communities
through active alumni groups, leadership opportunities, and community outreach via the Citizen
Father Project.
d. Connect dads with health education and services
e. Strengthen the integration of early childhood education, co-parenting, and healthy relationships
into core services

Year 5: Oct 2010 – Sept 2011

1. Replicate the FATHER Project in other MN communities
a. Develop a FATHER Project in Ramsey County
b. Serve incarcerated fathers, before and after they are released, through new partnerships
c. Expand culturally: Develop new partnerships with existing community and faith organizations to
serve Somali, Hmong fathers and other diverse populations
d. Explore establishing satellite office or other variations of FATHER Project off-site presence at high
exposure partner agency in North Minneapolis, such as Northpoint, which are staffed one
day/week.
2. Rigorously evaluate outcomes for the long-term
a. Be on the leading edge of the Fatherhood field in developing and measuring indicators to show
the impact of responsible fatherhood programs on children
b. Measure changes in parenting attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors
3. Advocate for cultural and systemic changes that promote responsible fatherhood
a. All FATHER Project partnering organizations will be a source of energy to change cultural
attitudes about parenting and fatherhood, valuing children
b. Engage the whole organization of each partner in public advocacy on behalf of fathers.

Great Beyond: Oct 2011 - Beyond

1. House all partner services and participants in the same building
2. Expand the upper age-limit to include older dads and to support parenting of older children
3. Deeply incorporate the FATHER Project within stable streams of services and funding for family services
and economic self-sufficiency.
4. Provide scholarships and a secure path to higher education for participants

4
 Appendix A: People who participated in a focus group or interview
FATHER Project staff and service providers:
• Yasir Ali, Americorps Member, Goodwill/Easter
Seals
• Michelle Bell, Program Coordinator,
Goodwill/Easter Seals
• Guy Bowling, Program Manager, Goodwill/Easter
Seals
• Walter Burk, Attorney, Central Minnesota Legal
Services
• Ira Dixon, Father Advocate, Goodwill/Easter
Seals
• Kathy Dobovsky, GED Coordinator,
Goodwill/Easter Seals
• Andrew Freeberg, Director Quality and
Evaluation, Goodwill/Easter Seals
• Nubberd Gonzalez, Employment Consultant,
Goodwill/Easter Seals
• Dick Graham, GED Volunteer, Goodwill/Easter
Seals
• Judie Haughton, Hennepin County Child Support
• Abby Johnson, Therapist, African American
Family Services
• Karen Johnson, Americorps Member,
Goodwill/Easter Seals
• Nicole Martin, Hennepin County Child Support
• Kyle MacCallum, Maintenance, Goodwill/Easter
Seals
• David Mirambeaux, Father Advocate,
Goodwill/Easter Seals
• Carmen Otero, Father Advocate/Case Manager,
Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio (CLUES)
• Dwight Vinson, Father Advocate,
Goodwill/Easter Seals
Representatives of Partner Organizations:
• Jennifer Barshack, Parents as Teachers/Meld
• William Doherty, Department of Family Social
Science, University of Minnesota
• Melissa Froehle, Minnesota Fathers & Families
Network
• Lissa Jones, African American Family Services
• Jean Lastine, Central Minnesota Legal Services
• Paul Masiarchin, Minnesota Fathers & Families
Network
• Patrick Morley, Project for Pride in Living
• Bruce Murray, Way to Grow
• Cira Sanchez, Comunidades Latinas Unidas En
Servicio (CLUES)
• Sam Simmons, African American Family Services
• Mary Steidl, Hennepin County Child Support
• Karen Strandemo, Hennepin County Child
Support
• Suzanne Tibbetts-Young, Division of Indian Work
• Helen Wells, Early Childhood Family Education
• Noya Woodrich, Division of Indian Work
•
Additional Stakeholders:
• Christa Anders, Consultant
• Deb Bahr-Helgen, Director, City of Minneapolis
Employment & Training Program
• Jeannine Balfour, McKnight Foundation
• Helen Bassett, Minnesota Health Department
• Wayland Campell, Child Support Director at DHS,
State of Minnesota
• Don Eubanks, Director of Multi-Cultural Affairs,
State of Minnesota
• Tim Jayson, Assistant Attorney, Hennepin County
Attorney’s Office
• Kirkland Johnson, Young Dads Project Director,
Employment Action Center
• Joe Jones, President/CEO, Center for Urban
Families
• Laura Kadwell, Director of Ending Long Term
Homelessness,State of Minnesota
• Pat Krauth, Manager of Direct Services, Child
Support Enforcement Division
• Lyle Iron-Moccasin, American Indian OIC
• Lori Lofrano, Child Support Liaison, Department
of Corrections
• Judge Tanja Manrique, Hennepin County District
Court
• Judge Bruce Peterson, Hennepin County Family
Court Judge
• Melissa Rossow, Ramsey County Child Support
• Andy Sagvold, Asst. Director of Reentry Services,
Council on Crime and Justice
• Dwaine Simms, Twin Cities RISE
FATHER Project Participants:
• Brantley
• Conroy
• Damien
• Demetrius
• Leroy
• Manuel
• Misqua
• Nate
• Tiffany