Empowered. Dedicated. Confident. Hope.
Motivated.
These are the words used by past participants of CCRC’s Nurturing Father Program (NFP) to describe their experience in the multi-week series. These identifiers are a testament to the power of a program built for dads in our communities to connect, share, and learn with one another. Recently CCRC NFP trainers Dominique Metoyer, Jaryn Gadea, and David Martinez were invited to participate as panelists and instructors at the Nurturing Fathers Program Summit in Ontario, California. The two-day event was a nationwide convening of facilitators and master trainers from across the country.
Metoyer was a part of the day-one panel discussion on women in the NFP. She shared testimony of the transformative work of the program and its positive influence in her life. She talked about how the program is not only a need but also a request from fathers looking for community resources.
In their co-taught breakout session, Gadea, Martinez, and Metoyer introduced what they call the “CCRC Model,” which maintains the integrity of the national program while interjecting culturally relevant and meaningful approaches. To CCRC trainers, added layers of intentionality, connection, and creativity are a way to show participants respect, encourage participation, and foster a sense of belonging. No detail is too small; from food to room arrangement, each piece is about cultivating an experience for the participants.
There were two main takeaways from the seminar. The first was the emphasis on collaboration as a necessity for success. CCRC is one of a few agencies in San Bernardino County with NFP-trained staff. Working together means a further reach and stronger positive effect on communities. Juan Solis, the Father Engagement Coordinator for San Bernardino County Children’s Network, Chair of the Inland Empire Father Involvement Coalition (IEFIC), and Master Trainer, says that interagency collaboration is vital to the expansion of the much-needed program. Solis has encountered many a father who feels unsure or incapable of their role in the family for myriad reasons. This is where the “heartwork” is, Solis says. It is about changing the narrative some fathers may have regarding their influence and importance. He believes that strengthening fathers not only strengthens families but the community as well.
The transformative power of strengthening fathers was the second major takeaway. As Corey Perlman, master trainer and son of NFP founder Mark Perlman, said, “One size does fit all when it comes to this curriculum because the facilitator takes it to the community, who then makes it their own. This curriculum is a space for dads to be who they are and grow in the levels they need to grow. It transforms lives.”
The Nurturing Fathers Program is an “evidence-based, 13-week training course designed to teach parenting and nurturing skills to men.” Their tagline is “We’re changing the world one father at a time,” and we applaud the work of CCRC staff who are committed to this shared mission.
To learn more about the program here at CCRC, please email Jaryn Gadea at [email protected].