With an all-female staff and a mission focused on what is normally perceived as a women’s issue, MOFAS has naturally done pretty well with reaching out to the ladies. We cannot ignore when it comes to true prevention and family support, men are really just as important to the mission. Recently MOFAS has been making an effort to reach out to men - in both prevention and intervention. Through our Family Empowerment grant from the McKnight Foundation, we have included goals which would educate and empower men to be more effective partners and fathers. Besides facilitating a “Fathering and FASD” workshop and speaking at a few fathers groups, we also made contracts with 4 metro-area agencies who already work with men. Here’s a summary of what these agencies are focusing on:
Catholic Charities Parenting Services: Last year, over 200 fathers received support through home visits, groups and classes, and individual counseling. In collaboration with MOFAS, they hope to reach at least 150 men with the message of FASD prevention and what to do if a diagnosis is suspected. Hundreds of families are also involved in their prenatal services, which will emphasize the risks of drinking during pregnancy.
PACER Center: While we already partner with PACER to serve families with advocacy needs, we are excited to see them expand their focus on FASD. They will be publishing an article in their nationwide newsletter and developing more FASD resources in print and on their website. PACER will also be working to train a group of fathers to speak to other men about FASD.
Project for Pride in Living Young Fathers Program: This program is targeted at fathers aged 15-27. Using the “Parents as Teachers” curriculum to provide parenting education and support to these men, they have connected with 164 young men since 2004. This program started incorporating FASD education into the curriculum they already use. Men will learn about how alcohol affects an unborn child and what to do when a child has been prenatally exposed to alcohol.
Resource Center for Fathers and Families: Men are referred to classes at RCFF for anger management or domestic violence. Facilitators present information that help the fathers better understand the lifelong effects of drinking during pregnancy and the relevancy to their lives.
We are excited to see the many ways that the MOFAS message is distributed to men across the state through these contracts! Stay tuned for reports from these programs later in the year.