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Family Re-Union 3: The Role of Men in the Lives of Children |
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THE ROLE OF MEN IN CHILDREN'S LIVES
July 11, 1994
The first two Family Re-Unions noted that men were frequently excluded from policies affecting the lives of children and families, leading to a self-fulfilling prophecy that damaged family life. This conference, which took place at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center Polk Theater, focused on these issues with a broad range of results:
- The National Practitioner's Network for Fathers and Families formed to encourage father involvement in fragile families and to support communication among father-focused programs.
- At Vice President Gore's suggestion, the Father to Father network started to support ways men reach out to one another with the intention of becoming better fathers.
- A Funder's Collaborative formed among Annie E. Casey, Danforth, Ford and C.S. Mott foundations which has yielded almost $20 million in new funding for father-focused programs and research.
- The National Center on Fathers and Families issued a report on Family Re-Union 3 and hosts a Round Table Series on research, policy and practice.
- FatherNet, an on-line resource, started up at the University of Minnesota.
- A Presidential Memorandum directed all federal agencies to revise programs, policies, research, and personnel practices so that they proactively strengthen fatherhood wherever appropriate. The successes of the Interagency Working Group, which formed in response to the Memorandum, include: changes in federal housing regulations and efforts to educate Housing Authorities about these changes; redesigned research which actively seeks data on fathers; redesigned requests for proposals that encourage father participation; changed personnel policies that encourage fathers' active participation in their children's lives; Department of Defense strategies to involve absent fathers and encourage father involvement in local schools; increased Head Start efforts to involve fathers in young children's education and in Early Head Start research; and Welfare to Work legislation to help non-custodial parents meet obligations to their children.
- Vice President Gore chaired a May 1995 conference of federal workers to review progress, suggest additional strategies, and learn from best practice.
- Paternity Numbers are Up. Click here for the latest paternity establishment numbers.
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Background | Outcomes | This Years Conference | Sponsors Previous Conferences 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 | 1995 | 1994 | 1993 l 1992
Copyright 2002 Family Reunion, Child and Family Policy Center at the Vanderbilt Institute for Public Policy Studies |