Below are tips on how to recruit fathers into your programs, as well as stories from dads about why they joined programs and from practitioners on recruitment strategies they have tried. Explore the page to find quotes from practitioners about how they recruit fathers into their programs.
Advice from the Field
“For our group parenting programs, we work with schools and community groups in promoting parenting and father-focused programs. We want agencies to buy in and take ownership of programs. DePelchin offers them a facilitator, workbooks, and incentives and in return, we ask the community partner to provide a classroom/venue and the participants. We usually leave it up to the community partners to promote and invite participants. Most would create their own invitations/flyers and refer families to the program/classes.”
-DePelchin Children’s Center Staff Member
Resources
Tips for Recruiting Fathers into Programs
Looking to get fathers into your organization’s programs?
Whether you provide father-focused programs or programs for the whole family, these tips can help guide your recruitment efforts:
- Invite fathers!
- Address all mailings and documents to both parents, and include space for both parents’ names
- Talk to fathers at the hospital, home visit, child care center, etc.
- Support fathers as a support for mothers
Father Stories: How do fathers get to programs?
Fathers discuss how they joined fatherhood programs, including counselor referrals, pamphlets, job fairs, and word of mouth.
The Child and Family Research Partnership, an independent, nonpartisan research center at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin, conducted these interviews as a part of the 2017 evaluation of the Department of Family and Protective Services’ Prevention and Early Intervention Division’s (PEI) Fatherhood EFFECT Programs. Read more about the EFFECT evaluation here.
Practitioner Stories: Partners in Parenting
Thanks to Jessica Burleson with Partners in Parenting for creating this video as an important example of trying new recruitment strategies to serve fathers in Texas!
Practitioner Stories: Coastal Bend Wellness Foundation
Thanks to Jessica Trevino with Coastal Bend Wellness Foundation for creating this video as an important example of employing multiple recruitment strategies to serve fathers in Texas!
Advice from the Field
“We tried to do a group connection for dads in the evening since so many of them work during the day. We had a very small attendance number because we didn’t take into account the fact that so many come home so late in the evening and some even work out of town. We have had better success with dad attending events when groups are held on the weekend.”
-Community Action, Inc. of Central Texas Staff Member
