Reposted from Administration for Children & Families The Family Room Blog (Sept. 7, 2012)
As a new parent, I remember the time that I forgot my newborn’s diaper bag. Imagine a screaming newborn that HATED being in dirty diapers, luckily I had diapers stashed in my car. The great thing about this incident is that I now make sure we have diapers in as many places as possible.
We really shouldn’t wait until a disaster happens and say, "Oh we got lucky." We have to act now – especially since we are new parents and have to think about a family that might be in different locations at the time of the incident. An example of things you may need to get done include:
- Picking a family meeting place
- A way to contact other family members (i.e. phone numbers, and social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, etc.) – memorize important numbers for your family.
- Keep a supply of food and drink that won’t go bad in the house: one gallon of water per person per day. Food like ramen noodles, granola bars, pop tarts, peanut butter, and jelly. Don’t forget to pack a manual can opener if you plan on having canned food in your supply.
- Emergency kit for a newborn, baby, toddler. Examples include baby food, diapers, wipes, formula, entertainment, books, etc.
- Flashlight with extra batteries.
- Hand crank or battery operated radio (with extra batteries).
- Cash in case ATMs are down.
- Personal documents such as passport(s), social security card(s) or drivers license(s), mortgage statements, etc.
If you include your children in the emergency planning process they will be more likely to understand and remember the plan.
For more information and helpful hints on ways to protect yourself and your family, follow the Office of Human Services Emergency Preparedness and Response on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Click here to listen a special message from our Acting Assistant Secretary George Sheldon on National Preparedness Month.
Reposted from Administration for Children & Families The Family Room Blog (Sept. 7, 2012), written by Tala Hooban, Office of Human Services Emergency Preparedness and Response (OHSEPR) Program Analyst
Recent Studies reveal that over 24 million children in the United States living apart from their biological fathers are two to three times more likely to be poor, abuse drugs and alcohol, experience emotional, health, behavioral and education problems, and engage in criminal activity.
How are American communities and organizations responding?
In response, the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse (NFRC) has been partnering with communities and organizations across the nation through Fatherhood Buzz, an initiative to support barbershops in connecting dads with local resources to help build strong families.
In the South Bronx, the Osborne Association’s Fatherhood Initiative, a program that works with formerly incarcerated fathers and their children, has partnered with Fatherhood Buzz to give resources and tips for parenting to their participants.
What kinds of tips for parenting do they teach?
- Spend time with your child, use every moment with your child to create positive memories
- Keep your promises that you made to your child, this builds trust between you and your child
- Celebrate your child’s accomplishments, praising your child gives them confidence and encourages them to keep trying to pursue what is right
- Consistently tell your sons and daughters that you love them, remind them that you love them for who they are, not for what they have done
Osborne’s Fatherhood Initiative not only teaches these Fatherhood Buzz Tips in the classroom, but they provide fathers the opportunity to use these tips by attending special events with their children. Recently, Osborne’s Fatherhood Initiative organized and provided for their participants and their children to attend a Yankee’s game, visit the New York Aquarium, and explore the Bronx Zoo. These events provided an avenue for fathers to create special memories and build trust with their child(ren).
Interested in Fatherhood Buzz tips you could use at home with your child?
Creating special moments with your children helps strengthen your relationship, improve communication, and improve their self-esteem. Spending quality time together doesn’t have to be expensive. Here are some ideas to get started!
- Tell your favorite childhood stories to your children
- Read aloud to your child
- Share old photos of yourself
- Prepare a family meal together
- Turn off the TV and play a board game together
- Do an outside activity with your children, like a nature walk, gardening, or bike riding
- Do an arts and crafts project, like creating a family album or draw pictures
For more information regarding your questions about parenting and fatherhood in the United States, check out our Tips for Parenting, or visit us at fatherhood.gov!
I recently had the opportunity to visit RecycleForce, a social enterprise in Indianapolis, IN that operates a recycling business while providing transitional jobs and comprehensive support services to formerly incarcerated individuals.
RecycleForce received a $5.5 million grant through the Department of Labor’s Enhanced Transition Jobs Demonstration (ETJD) to serve low-income, non-custodial fathers with criminal records. To implement this program, RecycleForce has teamed up with a number of community partners, including two faith-based programs, Changed Life and New Life Development Ministries that assist and hire formerly incarcerated individuals.
In my conversations with the staff and program participants, I learned how this project is not only helping people gain valuable work experience but is also helping them support their children. RecycleForce supports non-custodial parents by helping them reconnect with their children, strengthen their parenting skills, open-up communication lines with the children’s mother, and effectively manage their child support payments with the Marion County Child Support Division.
RecycleForce provides employment training and creates jobs, but more than that, they also transform the lives of the men and women who come through their doors.
The below video features a RecycleForce client discussing his responsibilities as a role model to his children:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HYl_e-7S6A&feature=player_embedded
Learn more about the work being implemented through Enhanced Transitional Jobs program at the Department of Labor.
Phil Tom is the Director of the Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the U.S. Department of Labor
Fatherhood Buzz - Back to School Initiative: Effective Strategies for Increasing Father Involvement in Schools 
Thursday August 23, 2012 - 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM (EASTERN)
National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse (NRFC) is providing a technical assistance webinar for all responsible fatherhood practitioners, including current OFA grantees, and other interested stakeholders. The webinar will provide ideas and resources to help increase father involvement in schools and their children’s education. Information will be provided on various initiatives that have helped engage fathers and father figures, inspire children, reduce bullying, and generally improve the educational environment in order that men may become more involved in the lives of their children.
Goals of Webinar: After this training webinar, participants will improve their knowledge and understanding of:
- The importance and impact of father involvement in schools.
- Strategies that fatherhood practitioners can use to engage with local schools and school districts in order to increase father involvement in schools and improve outcomes for children.
- Resources and tips for fathers to help them increase their involvement in schools and their children’s education.
Moderator: Dennis Bega, Acting National Director of Regional Operations, Office of Communications and Outreach, US Department of Education
Presenters:
- J. Michael Hall, President and Founder, Strong Fathers - Strong Families
- Betsy Landers, President, National Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
- Philip Jackson, Founder and Executive Director, The Black Star Project
Facilitator: Patrick Patterson, Manager, National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse
Visit our Webinar section for details on how to join the webinar!
This past June, hundreds of public housing authorities across the U.S. participated in HUD's fatherhood initiative. More than 300 local agencies answered HUD's call to host free events, topping last year's participation of over 200 agencies. HUD planted the seed, and we were pleased that housing authorities added their own twist to make their events unique and special. The events celebrated fatherhood, family and the importance of dads staying connected with their children who live in public housing or surrounding communities while also connecting the fathers to economic development resources.
Agencies in 33 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands hosted events this year-with Virginia and Texas having the highest number of participating agencies. With a year under their belts, housing authorities were more creative in the ways they connected fathers and their children. The events spoke to this year's theme, "Reconnecting Families and Dads." For example, instead of a Saturday celebration, the Spartanburg S.C. Housing Authority hosted "Dining with Dad" on a Friday evening.
Through this year's theme, HUD encouraged housing authorities to consider activities that will keep fathers connected to their children throughout the year. For example, dads can plan to volunteer at their children's schools, including attending Parents Night when school opens.
To offer on-site information and services such as employment resources, healthcare consultation and legal counseling, housing authorities partnered with the local offices of other federal agencies, including the U.S. Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Agriculture, Education and Justice. HUD also worked closely with national organizations like the Boys & Girls Club of America, Legal Services Corporation and the National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI), an organization created in 1994 to raise the awareness of the importance of fathers.
HUD's national Father's Day 2012 campaign is in part modeled after the New York City Housing Authority 2010 Fatherhood Initiative, which hosted a day-long event in all five of its boroughs to kick off ongoing economic development, parenting workshops, tutoring and bonding activities for fathers and children.
Ron Ashford is Director of Public and Indian Housing’s Office of Public Housing Supportive Services within the Office of within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
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En respuesta al llamado del presidente Obama para una conversación nacional sobre la paternidad responsable y las familias saludables, aprender cómo usted puede unirse a la Iniciativa Presidencial de Padres y Mentores.