Fastbreak for Fathers - Government

2010 Be There Award Winners

Sun, 20 Jun 2010 19:49:00-0700

Happy Father’s Day and Congratulation to our 2010 Be There for Your Kids 2010 Award winners! (Pictured left to right at the pregame of the June 18th Rockies game - Ken Sanders, Linda Kempe - Fatherhood Support Services, Kevin Crumley, Kendie & Kendall Davis)

Kevin Crumley – Father of the Year (follow this link for Bill Johnson’s column in The Denver Post on Kevin

Fatherhood Support Services – Program of the Year (follow this link for FSI’s website)

Kendall Davis – Outstanding Father Reengagement Award

Ken Sanders – Fatherhood Practitioner of the Year (Click here to read a profile on The Center on Fathering in the September 2009 issue of The Face of Fatherhood in Colorado. Ken is the Center’s Director)

Terry Spindler – Colorado Fatherhood Council Member of the Year

I was also awarded Outstanding Leader of the Year, in part because as of the beginning of this month I have transitioned to a new role. After helping to establish the Colorado Fatherhood Initiative I have accepted a position with the Denver office of Public Strategies Inc. as the project manager for the National Healthy Marriage Resource Center which includes the website twoofus.org.

It has been a joy to work with men and women across state working to improve child wellbeing through father involvement. I’m convinced that Colorado is well positioned to continue their great work for dads and I will continue to do all that I can to support that endeavor.

Accepting Nominations

Thu, 06 May 2010 13:48:00-0700

We are accepting nominations for the 2010 Be There for Your Kids Awards. This year’s winners will be honored during the pre-game ceremony of the June 18th Rockies game. Nominations are due May 15.

Last year’s winners included:
Jerome Perkins (pictured on the far right) – Fatherhood Practitioner of the Year - Jerome is the administrator of Christlife Ministries in Pueblo. Christlife Ministries focuses mentoring fathers in prison to connect with their children on the inside while also preparing them for a lasting relationship with their family when they are released.

Joel Webster (Pictured on the right with Governor Bill Ritter) – Father of the Year – Joel and his wife Bridget are parents to 13-year-old Michael and 9-year-old Haley. Joel rose from the ashes so to speak . . . after spending part of his childhood in foster care and being homeless for a short period of time, Joel demonstrated a tremendous commitment to getting his life in order and eventually married and became the kind of dad his step son and biological daughter need him to be. Joel broke a negative cycle and has replaced it with powerful presence of courage, nurturance, and hope.

You probably know someone deserving of a Be There Award. Nominees must be a resident of Colorado and fall into one of the following eight categories: [More]

Fatherhood & Healthy Families Recommendations

Sun, 21 Mar 2010 10:56:00-0700

The President’s Advisory council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships met March 9th to present the recommendations of six taskforces representing:

Economic Recovery and Domestic Poverty;
Environment and Climate Change;
Fatherhood and Healthy Families;
Global Poverty and Development;
Inter-religious Cooperation; and
Reform of the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

Follow this link for a PDF of the full report.

In regards to Fatherhood and Healthy Families the Council was charged to “develop recommendations for partnership and program opportunities that will strengthen the Administration’s commitment to promote fatherhood and the role of fathers in supporting healthy families.” The single overarching conviction that shaped the Taskforce’s deliberations was that: Responsible, engaged fathers are critical to the financial, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual well-being of children, and therefore to the strength and health of American families and communities.

The Taskforce presented the following 9 recommendations (begins on page 26 of the full report): [More]

Are we promoting a generation of ?Entertainer Dads??

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:46:00-0700

Dads on Dads, a study published in 2002 on the changing patterns of family life in modern Britain by the Equal Opportunities Commission identified four types of dads based on men’s time involvement with their children, the activities they engaged in with them, and the role they adopted in these interactions.

What type of dad are you? or What type of parents are you?

Enforcer Dad
Entertainer Dad
Useful Dad
Fully Involved Dad [More]

Fighting poverty with fatherfullness

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 17:26:00-0700

The recent discussion on poverty, marital status and out of wedlock births (see Vincent Carroll’s February 20th Denver Post column – Discuss poverty at own peril) speaks to the flesh and bone of my work to improve the wellbeing of children as it relates to the absence or presence of a father or father figure. I am a part of a growing number of individuals and agencies in Colorado that are calling men to step up and be the kind of dad their children need them to be.

The politics of father absence, like any social issue of significance, is fraught with a plethora of differing assumptions and opinions. [More]

100,000 Thank Yous

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 10:15:00-0700

In 2009 Coloradodads.com had over 100,000 unique visitors and almost 2 million hits. Thank you to everyone who has logged onto our site this year! The website is just a small yet important portion of what we do.

In October 2006, the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS), Colorado Works Division was awarded a $10 million federal grant over five years to strengthen father/child relationships and improve parenting. Since that time we have helped fund 56 programs as they provide thousands of dads with the tools and resources they need to be the kind of men their children need them to be. This year we are funding 27 programs across the state.

It has been especially satisfying to see the development of programs that do not receive funds from us. More and more counties, agencies, and churches have begun to provide services this year that improve the well-being of our children by working with and through their dads. In addition there has been marked improvement of service coordination across divisions and departments of the state and counties.

In the past year we have trained over a 100 different Colorado practitioners in fatherhood practices and curricula. [More]

Take 'em outside!

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:58:00-0700

You probably wouldn’t be surprised to learn that studies indicate that children are spending half as much time outside as they did 20 years ago. Child advocacy expert Richard Louv directly links the lack of nature in the lives of today's wired generation—he calls it nature-deficit—to some of our most disturbing childhood trends, such as the rises in obesity, attention disorders, and depression. Louv, author of one of the classic books on fathering, Fatherlove: What We Need, What We Seek, What We Must Create (1993), has stimulated an international conversation about the future relationship between children and nature, and has helped spawn a movement that is now moving into the international sphere.

His book, Last Child in the Woods was the first book to bring together a new and growing body of research indicating that direct exposure to nature is essential for healthy childhood development and for the physical and emotional health of children and adults. The newest edition of the book includes: 100 actions you can take to create change in your community, school, and family and 35 discussion points to inspire people of all ages to talk about the importance of nature in their lives.

Ann Zander, CSU Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent in Boulder County, has highlighted some of Louv’s points in her August 2009 Family Matters newsletter article; Benefits of children playing in nature.

I’m proud to say we take the importance of the outdoors seriously here in Colorado! On June 15, Lt. Gov. Barbara O’Brien released the Colorado Kids’ Outdoor Bill of Rights; ten activities Colorado kids told her they believe everyone in the state should have an opportunity to experience before they grow up. [More]

Thank you for a great Fatherhood Rally!

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 11:43:00-0700

Thank you to everyone who helped and participated in the 2009 Colorado Fatherhood Rally! Despite a sky full of threatening clouds nothing rained on this parade! Those present were treated to a great performance and introduction to the power of fatherhood wisdom passed from generation to generation by the Denver Indian Family Resource Center Dancers.

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper accompanied by his son, Teddy, reminded us of the importance of parental involvement in the life of children no matter what their age.

Dwayne Meeks and Demetrious Jenkins of Urban Colors Arts & Mentoring were awarded the Be There for Your Kids Fatherhood Program of the Year Award. Joel Webster, father to Michael – 13 and Haley 9 received the Be There for Your Kids Father of the Year Award. Joel spent his formative years in and out of foster care, ended up dropping out of high school and spending more time than he would like to recall homeless. Joel was able to break a generational cycle of pain to becoming a hero in the eyes of his wife, children and kids across his neighborhood. He sees himself as “just an ordinary dad.” We recognize him because others have seen the extraordinary in his life! [More]

2009 Fatherhood Rally & Be There Awards

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 18:32:00-0700

We need them (fathers) to realize that what makes you a man is not the ability to have a child — it’s the courage to raise one - President Barack Obama, Father’s Day 2008.

Did you know that the following events took place in 1909?

President Taft was inaugurated as the 27th President of the United States in a snowstorm
Admiral Peary discovered the North Pole
Workers began pouring concrete to build the Panama Canal
The United States celebrated the first Father’s Day

What will you do to recognize dad on the 100th anniversary of Father’s Day this summer? [More]

Grandma Finney's Blue Ribbon

Sun, 05 Apr 2009 19:16:00-0700

Like me you have probably stopped trying to figure out what the ribbon of the month is. There are green ribbons, yellow ribbons, gray and pink ribbons. There are tartan ribbons, and orange ribbons. There are even ribbons for “students against the exploitation of Rocky and Bullwinkle in Taco Bell Commercials” and Chicago Cub fans! The Bullwinkle group is now defunct, I’m not sure that will ever be the case for Cubs fans.

I think ribbon campaigns can and do draw attention to important issues and concerns. However, I must admit I don’t ask about ribbons as frequently as I used to. The Blue Ribbon Campaign began in 1989 when a grandmother in Virginia quietly yet determinedly tied a blue ribbon to the antenna of her van, because she wanted “to make people wonder.” Those who inquired about her ribbon heard the tragic story about the abuse of her grandchildren, which ultimately led to the brutal death of her grandson. Why blue? Mrs. Finney chose blue because she couldn’t forget the battered and bruised bodies of her grandchildren. Blue served as a constant reminder that our children need protection. [More]

Teaching money matters to our kids

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 13:53:00-0700

While I do have a Facebook and Twitter account, I have yet to tap into the instant news updates that my son receives on his cell phone. I still prefer to get my news around 5:30 AM with a cup of coffee and the newspaper. Regrettably today is day one without the Rocky! I subscribe to breaking news headlines by e-mail but I typically wait for the train ride home to catch up with what has happened since the morning via my Blackberry.

All that to say, my teenagers typically know what the Dow did or who has laid off thousands before I do. In today’s age of 24/7 news, our teens hear, even if they don’t give their undivided attention to, stories focused on the economy. By teaching children the importance of spending money wisely at an early age, dads and moms can help them avoid catastrophic mistakes later in life.

Junior Achievement, Rocky Mountain, Inc., recommends these six easy steps when discussing money management with your children: [More]

?A Father?s Promise? airs this Sunday

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 14:39:00-0700

12 years ago NBC News produced "Labor Day," an award-winning documentary about the alarming rise of inner city children growing up without fathers. It began with the deliveries of three babies born over a 72-hour period at University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey, one of the places where the rate of absentee fathers was especially high. These fathers all made promises to be there with for their child as he or she grew up.

Now, MSNBC has gone back to find out whether these three fathers kept that promise. "A Father's Promise" premieres on Sunday, February 8 at 8 PM ET on MSNBC. Also in the documentary, a cross-section of African-Americans, including NBC's Al Roker and Tiki Barber, come together for a round-table discussion of the situations and issues presented in the program. You can check out some extra clips of the roundtable discussion that you won't get to see in the documentary through this link. [More]

Colorado Funding Announcement

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 15:47:00-0700

In October 2006, the Colorado Department of Human Services was awarded a federal grant of $10 million to be used over five years with the focus and intent of improving paternal relationships and parenting. Of the $2 million received annually, just under $1.2 million is awarded to appropriate organizations statewide that meet the application requirements.

Funding priority is given to faith and community based organizations that provide fatherhood parent skills training and healthy marriage / couples relationships training as core services. Of the total community access funds available for service providers, 70% is allocated for grass roots and faith based organizations that have social services as a part of their mission, are headquartered in the local community, have a total operating budget of $300,000 or less or have six or fewer full-time equivalent employees. [More]

White House Agenda and Fatherhood

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 13:33:00-0700

A number of proposals identified on the campaign trail are now a part of President Obama's family policy agenda. All of these can be reviewed on the White House website.

Here are some of the highlights specific to fatherhood:

$100m funding for fatherhood programs and domestic violence prevention
24 hours of leave each year for parents to participate in their children’s academic activities at school; leave for workers who care for individuals who reside in their home for 6 months or more; and leave for employees to address domestic violence and sexual assault.
$1.5bn to help every State to set up maternity and paternity leave arrangements.
Promotion of flexible working to businesses – making the business case, helping business to change and financial incentives for telecommuting.
Expansion of the Nurse-Family Partnership to 570,000 families a year.

Hope

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:02:00-0700

Today our nation awakened from a dream to a day filled with the hope and promise of a better future. Hope is a virtue of the heart that looks beyond present circumstances to the way things ought to be. It makes the journey, any journey, possible. It doesn’t just dream of tomorrow but seeks to embody the dream today.

The inauguration of our nation’s first African American President is a perfect opportunity to talk with children, whatever their ages, about the importance of dreams, the importance of hope, the importance of today. [More]