Progress 08/01/13 to 07/31/18
Outputs
Target Audience:3,215 (302 idendified as Black, 6 more than one race, the rest were White) At-Risk Fathers and father figures. Absent fathers were particularly targeted. In addition, 5,415 youth were reached. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Attendance at the annual CYFAR workshop 2017 MRT (Moral Reconation Therapy) Training to work with KY State Parolees National Council on Family Relations conference National Association of Extension 4-H Agents Nuturing Fathers conference Father and Families Coalition How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Video under development - state-wide dissemination. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
1. Increase in parenting skills and understanding of basic child development among fathers/father figures. 100% of 149 participants are more positive about their experiences as parents. 2. Increase in community collaboration and partnerships on issues/programs pertaining to fatherhood. New and diverse collaborations and partners continue to become aware of the CYFAR program. 24 collaborations/partnerships had active involvement. 3. Opportunities for fathers/father figures to engage in planning and evaluation processes. 149 participated in pre/post tests. Perceptions as a role model for their children continued to show decreases from a mean score of 4.07 pre-test to a mean score of 3.79 post-test (scale of 1 to 5). This finding continues to reveal that the fathers go through a process of self-evaluation as a result of participation in the CYFAR program where they are being able to honestly see the need for improvements in their roles as fathers. There also has been a continued decrease in negative perceptions regarding fatherhood by all program participants, staff, and grant partners. The program exposes participants to new insights that have allowed them to realize there are still more opportunities for personal growth, which has resulted in them engaging in not only participation but also planning and evaluating processes in relation to the program, themselves as fathers, and the larger community and society as a whole in relation to fatherhood.
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Progress 08/01/16 to 07/31/17
Outputs
Target Audience:130 fathers/father figures/absent fathers Kentucky is not a ethnically diverse state. Our audience is more diverse than the state. 20 were African American 1 Native American 105 White 1 Asian 3 others 4 were of Hispanic origin 31 have not completed HS 62 GED or HS completion 34 had at least some post-secondary education Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Supported CYFAR workshop for PIs and county personnel to attend. Nurturing Parenting 3-day curriculum training - October 17-19, 2016 Hosted Nurturing Parenting 2-day curriculum training and presented on CYFAR Fatherhood programs How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Information about and results from the work being completed in Todd and Wolfe Counties are regularly shared with their primary partners. Primary community partners for Todd County that have been involved in the grant have included Todd County 4-H Council and Community Education Council, Todd County schools (housing paraprofessional), Todd County 21st Century Center grant in one of the middle schools, Todd County Detention Center, Todd County Youth Services Centers, local Champions Against Drugs group, and local Health Department. Primary community partners for Wolfe County that have been involved in the grant have included Boy Scouts, Head Start, Wolfe County Schools and Family Resource Centers, Special Education coordinator for the county, and Wolfe County 4-H Council. In September 2016 Wolfe County CYFAR and the Department of Probation and Parole began a partnership to plan for weekly meetings for Department of Corrections referrals for a new 24/7 Dad program. New Wolfe County grant partners in 2016 have included Little Learners Daycare and the Grow Appalachia Program. Very strong relationships in both counties with Youth Service Centers have allowed the CYFAR paraprofessionals to begin reaching significantly more fathers during this reporting period. Both grant sites developed a Facebook page for their fatherhood programs. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?1.)The CYFAR team will continue to empower fathers/father figures who have participated in programs in the first 4 years to volunteer to assist in facilitating programs and activities for families and the larger community. 2.) County programming and recruiting of father/father figure participants for 24/7 Dad® will continue. 3.)The county teams and project evaluator will continue conducting needs assessments, evaluating program development, implementation and outcomes, and evaluate short- and long-term desired results of the program. 4.)The county and state CYFAR teams will continue to share results of programs and long-term outcomes of the grant with local stakeholders and partners. 5.) Sustainability plans and results/findings will continue to be disseminated to local, statewide, regional and national audiences. 6.) Male volunteers who already have ties to Extension will continue to be targeted as potential role models who can serve as positive influences on the lives of fathers/father figures struggling with various issues in their homes (e.g., parenting, marriage, divorce, incarceration, post-deployment readjustment, etc.). The co-directors and agents will work CYFAR coordinators and partners to help them learn about evidence-based practices for developing and enhancing parenting skills among fathers and engaging fathers in community based programming. Agents and coordinators will continue to work with community partners (e.g., schools, family resource centers, military reserve units, armories, Family Readiness Groups, parent/teacher support groups, detention centers) to identify fathers and/or families. Fathers/father figures will continue to be invited to local programs, such as Family Fun Days, father-child nights and other events. Letters, flyers, radio announcements and social media are being used to advertise events designed to benefit fathers/father figures and their families. Fathers/father figures will continue to participate in programs related to parenting skills, forming stronger parent-child bonds, the critical role fathers play within families and/or coping with family separation and reunions (e.g., deployments, incarceration, etc.). Ongoing observations will be conducted by agents and coordinators to ensure fathers are engaged in programs. 24/7 Dad® will continue to be offered in each county to incarcerated fathers as approved by the Kentucky Department of Corrections. Members of the local county CYFAR teams are involved in recruiting 15-20 fathers/father figures as participants in ongoing 24/7 Dad® programs. A crucial task for the coordinators (with the help of county agents) will be to continue recruiting, maintaining and training small groups of fathers/father figures to serve as volunteer leaders and mentors for programs and to help coordinators determine, develop and implement supplemental programs and activities that are of interest to men and their families. The county CYFAR coordinators will continue and expand activities that are of interest to fathers/father figures and continue building relationships with existing community groups that focus on relevant, related issues (fathering and volunteer). They will also survey program participants and partners to determine additional strategies in stimulating the interest and retention of men in extension and other community programs. In conjunction with the program evaluations, the evaluator will conduct formative process evaluations to ensure program implementation is meeting identified needs. An ongoing evaluation will be incorporated to ensure progress toward desired short and long-term results. Agents and coordinators will conduct informal and formal meetings to gather data from stakeholders about program successes, areas needing improvement and continue to refine their sustainability plan.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Men gain opportunities to engage in positive ways with their children and strengthen the parent/child relationship. This will have long term positive impact on child, families, and the community. 100% of 110 participants became more positive toward their experiences as parents after attending various programs offered by the CYFAR project. Community collaborations and partnerships are more diverse and have become more aware of the CYFAR program and are now working with our grant sites to assist in all phases of programming and evaluation. Furthermore, community organizations and programs are beginning to invite the CYFAR paraprofessionals to participate in their community programs There has been a continued decrease in negative perceptions regarding fatherhood by all program participants, staff, and grant partners. All 51 fathers who completed the programs for incarcerated fathers in Todd and Wolfe Counties in 2016 revealed that they have improved their communication skills with their children and have a renewed sense of what a good father is supposed to be. All 27 fathers who attended the "Camping with Dads" program in Todd County revealed that spending quality time, talking with their children, and getting on their children's level to do the things that are important to their children were the keys to great parenting. All 110 participants from 2016 evaluations had fairly positive perceptions of themselves as positive role models for their children (mean score of 4.03 on a scale of 1 to 5) after participating in a CYFAR program. Over half of the fathers (110 total) had not participated in Extension programming prior to the CYFAR program, denoting success of the program to attract males and non-traditional audiences to Extension.
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Progress 08/01/15 to 07/31/16
Outputs
Target Audience:Vulnerable populations Variety ofraces and ethnicities Parents Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?CYFAR Workshop, 4 people attended How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Will attend CYFAR workshop to continue to be up-to-date with the changes to the program. Each paraprofessional will continue to engage fathers in programming efforts including 24/7 Dad andInside/Out Dad. Continued efforts will be made to engage more fathers into the program. Pre/post surveys will be given to Fathers who consent to taking the surveys. Most importantly, increased efforts to collaborate with other organizations with the ultimate goal of being able to sustain the efforts past funding.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Result: Increase in parenting skills and understanding of basic child development among fathers/father figures. Number of participants:98. Survey methods are pre and post common measures survey; informal interview; staff and partner observation; perceptions toward family dynamics and relationships pre- and post-survey. Paired t-test used to analyze survey findings. Aggregate interview and survey data to determine themes. Findings: When comparing pre- and post- surveys, 100% of respondents became more positive toward their experiences as parents and stated they had positive experiences toward their parenting skills and characteristics. Post-program there also was a positive perception toward the participants' relationships with their children (mean score of 4.23 on a scale of 1 to 5). Result: Increase in community collaborations and partnerships on issues/programs pertaining to fatherhood. Number of participants:98. Content analysis; site coordinator documentation of number of collaborations formed through the CYFAR grant. Findings: Family Resource Centers, Special Education Coordinators, Head Start, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Family Court Judges, Probation and Parole Directors and more have become aware of the CYFAR program and are now collaborating with our grant sites to assist in planning and conducting programs. A strong partnership has begun or grown with Head Start, County Detention Centers, local Health Departments, Pennyrile Allied Community Health Services, Boy Scouts and 21st Century Community Learning Centers as a result of the CYFAR grant. Relationships with Probation and Parole and Department of Corrections have been developed and strengthened and both grant sites are now approved through KY Department of Corrections to offer the 24/7 Dad program for incarcerated fathers. Result: Opportunities for fathers/father figures to engage in program planning and evaluation processes. Number of participants:98. Content analysis; site coordinator documentation of number of opportunities offered to fathers to engage in program planning and evaluation through CYFAR grant. Findings:Interestingly, perceptions as a role model for their children decreased from a mean score of 4.03 pre-test to a mean score of 3.79 post-test (scale of 1 to 5). This finding revealed that the fathers are going through a process of self-evaluation process as a result of participation in theCYFAR program where they are being able to honestly see the need for improvements in their rolesas fathers. It is also of interest to note that there has been a decrease in negative perceptions regarding fatherhood by all program participants, staff, and grant partners. Long Term Results: Result: Increase in the application of fathers' effective parenting skills.Number of participants:98. Pre and post- common measures survey; informal interviews; staff documentation; perceptions toward family dynamics and relationships pre- and post-survey. Paired t-test used to analyze survey findings; aggregating interview and survey data to determine themes. Findings: All 48 fathers who have completed the program for incarcerated fathers in Todd County have revealed that they have improved their communication skills with their children and have a renewed sense of what a good father is supposed to be. Responses indicate a positiveprogression toward more effective parenting from pre-survey to post-survey. All respondents revealed an increase in positive perceptions (mean score of 4.25 on a scale of 1 to 5) about their relationships with their children. Informal interviews with program participants have revealed that the fathers all have a self-realization after participating in the program that, despite the face that they feel they are good fathers, they always notice areas that need improvement and state they are willing to use the information they have learned through the program to continue to improve. Result: Improvement in the involvement of positive fathers/father figures in the lives of children. Number of participants:98. Informal interviews were conducted. Analysis: Content analysis of reports; interviews of site coordinators; aggregating interview and survey data to determine themes. Findings: All 27 fathers who attended the "Camping with Dads" program in Todd County revealed that spending quality time, talking with their children, and getting on their children's level to do the things that are important to their children were the keys to great parenting. All 98 participants had fairly positive perceptions of themselves as positive role models for their children (mean score of 4.03 on a scale of 1 to 5) after participating in a CYFAR program. Given these preliminary findings, it is hopeful that the programs through this project are serving to help participants see the need for and become more involved in their children's lives than their own father's level of involvement. Another finding through staff observation is that currently, it is mothers who most often stop and ask about the CYFAR fatherhood program at displays or events and it is mothers who are most often accompanying their children to community events where flyers and brochures are being disseminated about the program. As a result, promotional materials have been designed for many of the CYFAR programs that are for mothers to take home to fathers and have been placed in places where fathers are more likely to be, such as gas stations, restaurants and churches. Result: Increase in male involvement within Extension programs and the community. Number of participants:98. Evaluation types were: pre and post surveys; informal interviews; staff and partner documentation/observation. Content analysis was used; aggregating interview and survey data to determine themes.Findings: Fifty one percent of the fathers had not participated in Extension programming prior to the CYFAR program, denoting success of the program to attract males and non-traditional audiences to Extension. Moreover, involvement in the CYFAR program and other Extension programs and interaction with other fathers in the community has aided in the men discovering that family relationships (past and present) can have a profound effect on their roles as parents. Of participants who have completed a post-survey, 100% have reported being involved at least 2-3 hours per week now with the CYFAR program. Extension programs from every area are posted to the CYFAR Facebook page. Newsletters for Ag and FCS are disseminated during fatherhood programs to inform participants about other programs being offered through their local Extension office.
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Progress 08/01/14 to 07/31/15
Outputs
Target Audience: Limited resource parents with a particular emphasis on fathers and absent fathers. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? CYFAR Assistants attended the CYFAR workshop in DC,the National Fatherhood Intitiative training for 24/7 Dads, andNational Familiesand FathersConference. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? The CYFAR Assistants will continue to offer community based programming targeting fathers. They will use 24/7 Dad and other programs for which fathers express interest. Collaborations will continue to be developed. County Agents will continue to expand their programming for fathers.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1:When comparing pre- and post- surveys (n=8), all respondents became more positive toward their experiences as parents and stated they had positive experiences toward their parenting skills and characteristics. Goal 2:Both grant sites received $5,000 each in supplemental grant funds in September 2014 from the KY SEED (System to Enhance Early Development) to be able to offer additional programs that focus on fathers with children birth-5 years old. Family Resource Centers, Special Education Coordinators, Head Start, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Family Court Judges, Probation and Parole Directors and more have become aware of our program during the past year and have begun to work with our grant sites to assist in planning and conducting programs. A strong partnership has begun or grown with Head Start, County Detention Centers, local Health Departments, Pennyrile Allied Community Health Services, Boy Scouts and 21st Century Community Learning Centers as a result of the CYFAR grant. Goal 3:Agents in both grant-funded counties have deliberately included fathers and grandfathers in the CYFAR planning committees they put together as the grant began. After grant site coordinators were hired, surveys were sent home through local schools and included on county Facebook pages in an effort to include fathers in program planning as it began in 2014 and beyond. In all discussions with fathers during current CYFAR programs, participants are asked for ideas for future programs and activities that will help to meet the needs identified by participating fathers and are asked to serve as volunteers/mentors in future CYFAR programs.
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Progress 08/01/13 to 07/31/14
Outputs
Target Audience: Father and father figures, at-risk. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Project PI and two Co-PIs attended CYFAR orientation and annual CYFAR workshop in 2013. Project PI and Co-PIs attended a 24/7 Dad training. KY orientation for the assistants and agents One project co-PI/evaluator, assistants and available agents have registered to attend the 2014 CYFAR workshop which is offered annually. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Early in the second year 24/7 Dad® will be offered in each county, the 12 lesson training that is the backbone of the program. All members of the local county CYFAR teams will be involved in recruiting 15-20 fathers/father figures as participants in the training. The project will target fathers who have participated in the activities of year one and also fathers who can enhance their parenting skills and better understand the critical role they play within families. A crucial task for the assistants (along with the help of county agents) is to continue to recruit, maintain and train a small group of fathers/father figures per county. This group will serve as volunteer leaders and mentors for 24/7 Dad® and will help assistants to determine, develop, and implement supplemental programs and activities that are of interest to men and their families. The state CYFAR team will also consult with the Fatherhood Workgroup to identify resource materials that can be useful in promoting fatherhood programming. The county CYFAR staff will continue offering activities that are of interest to fathers/father figures. They will also survey program participants to determine additional strategies in stimulating the interest and retention of men in extension and other community youth development programs. In addition, the assistants will continue building relationships with existing community groups that focus on relevant, related issues (fathering and volunteer). In conjunction with the program evaluations, the evaluator will conduct formative process evaluations to ensure program implementation is meeting identified needs. An ongoing evaluation will be incorporated to ensure progress toward desired short and long-term results. Agents and assistants will conduct informal and formal meetings to gather data from stakeholders about program successes, areas needing improvement, and continue to refine their sustainability plan.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
1. County level assistants were hired to conduct the program. 2. Beginning activities have been provided with the goal of getting fathers involved in Extension programming. 3. Surveys conducted to provide fathers an opportunity to help in the planning process on how to implement 24/7 Dad and other curriculum.
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