Recruiting for New Fathers Corps

First 5 Alameda County and the Alameda County Public Health Department are launching a county-wide team of male service providers who will be trained over the coming year (September 2013 - May 2014) to strengthen families by fostering constructive engagement of fathers in the care and upbringing of their children.  The kick-off event for the Fathers Corps is Friday, August 23 from 12:00 - 3:00 p.m with a free barbecue and an introduction to the innovative corps by Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson and First 5 Alameda County CEO Mark Friedman.  Service providers throughout Alameda County are welcome!  For more information and information to RSVP, click here. 

Engaged Fathers = Stronger Families

The two agencies are committed to the principle that helping to increase father involvement in children's lives will significantly advance the goals of strengthening families in Alameda County.  Research shows irrefutably that children who grow up without a father actively involved in their lives experience significantly higher rates of depression, alcohol and drug abuse, failure in school, teen pregnancy, criminal activity and incarceration, adult poverty and other lifelong challenges. The establishment of the Father Corps is designed to increase involvement of fathers in their children's lives by focusing on factors specific to the needs of men and the challenges they face in fulfilling their role as fathers.  

Training Providers, Strengthening Families

Members of the Fathers Corps will attend free monthly trainings on topics essential to effective paternal involvement such as Child Development, Maternal & Paternal Depression, Nutrition and Wellness, School Readiness, Temperament and others.  The principal objective of the trainings is to intentionally support male providers who serve fathers and discuss how to relate the training content to serving fathers in Alameda County. Another important objective is to help create more "father friendly" services throughout Alameda County.  The agencies hope to attract an energetic team of male service providers who will commit themselves to the mission of the Fathers Corps: to strengthen Alameda County families by fostering the increased involvement of fathers in their children's lives.