Nurturing Fathers Program

The Nurturing Fathers Program is a 13-week evidence-based program for developing attitudes and skills for male nurturing. The group, consisting of 10 to 20 fathers, meets weekly for 2 1/2 hours.

This program offers a unique approach to discipline that every man can relate to. We help fathers deal with their feelings, manage anger, resolve conflicts, engage in appropriate play, teach values, and be role models. We discuss the differences between fathering sons and fathering daughters, the influence of cultural perspectives, teamwork within the family, issues around work and fathering, and much more.

To watch a video from the 2014 Nurturing Fathers graduation ceremony, click here.

A group of people on a table

Program Activities Address

  • The Roots of Fathering
  • Teamwork With Spouse/Partner
  • Nurturing Ourselves/Our Children
  • Balancing Work and Fathering
  • Fathering Sons/Fathering Daughters
  • Communication and Problem Solving
  • Discipline Without Violence
  • Cultural Influences
  • Playing With Children
  • Dealing With Feelings
  • Managing Anger/Resolving Conflict
  • The Father I Choose To Be

People Empowering People (PEP)

The People Empowering People (PEP) program is an innovative program designed to build the strengths of adults and teens. PEP recognizes the unique strengths, life experiences, and capacities of each person. It emphasizes the connection between individual and community action.

Who Participates in PEP?

Community outreach and support workers, people with limited financial resources, parents and single adults, teen parents, and individuals who want to develop their skills on how to become active participants in their community.

How Does PEP Work?

Participants attend 10 weekly 2-hour training sessions, followed by bi-monthly or weekly training and support meetings. The ten training sessions include clarification of values, communication skills, problem-solving, the helping role, parenting, action planning, community assessment, and community issues. They also conduct two or more individual or group projects that benefit their community. Trained facilitators conduct the training sessions in bi-monthly or weekly follow-up meetings and provide support to participants who become engaged in community projects.

Who Benefits?

PEP participants have improved communication, problem-solving, and parenting skills; increased knowledge of community resources; increased ability to share new skills or knowledge; increased empowerment in taking steps toward economic self-sufficiency, etc. Communities benefit from adults and teens who believe in their individual and collective ability to achieve their dreams and use their ability to change or enhance their community.

MA&PA The MAnaging and PArenting Program (MA and PA)

MA and PA, as the program is affectionately called, focuses on strengthening the couple's relationship (married or unmarried) through a shared exploration of parenting attitudes and skills. This 12-week curriculum utilizes some of the most effective approaches from The Nurturing Fathers Program to create a series of couple’s dialogues. With the addition of new relationship-building activities, spouses/partners learn more about themselves and each other while creating a shared vision for family life. The weekly group experimental activities and the Home Activities in the MA and PA Journal help each couple develop the attitudes and skills for successful family formation.

Other Services

  • Additionally, Enlace offers emergency clothing, food, and assistance finding housing options. We offer space for community-focused meetings, play areas for children, as well as supervised visits.

The Participants

  • Parents and teen parents
  • Single parents
  • Couples
  • Grandparents and caregivers
  • People with limited financial resources
  • Anyone who wants to develop skills on how to become an active participant in their community

Enlace de Familias Trainers Will Also Include the Following Topics

Teamwork and Discipline

  • To identify the elements of successful teamwork and apply them to parenting
  • To learn the key techniques for discipline and behavior management through an understanding of team sports
  • To establish family rules for the whole family

Ages and Stages

  • Understanding that every child (even though very different) must work and face certain tasks in order to developmentally move ahead

Hitting, Fear, and Violence

  • To differentiate between nurturing and non-nurturing parenting practices.
  • To identify the intentions and actual outcomes of various parenting practices. To commit to the use of specific nurturing parenting practices that do not represent fear or violence.
  • To understand the differences between “power-over” and “power-to” and how they affect parents’ lives.