Empower New Haven Salutes Male Involvement Network

Local fatherhood program among first to be certified Maria Garriga, Register Staff03/10/2005 Email to a friend Printer-friendly

NEW HAVEN — Connecticut has become the first state in the nation to certify fatherhood programs, and the Male Involvement Network in New Haven will be the first in the city to receive the accreditation today.

The Male Involvement Network, started and run by the New Haven Family Alliance, a nonprofit agency, will receive its accreditation at 5 p.m. at The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven at 70 Audubon St.

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The network serves 150 non-custodial fathers a year, providing them with parenting classes, mentors, job training, education, housing programs, court advocacy, probation and parole support and outings for their children.

The network tries to help men realize that they bring more to their families than a paycheck.

"A lot of men are willing to contribute, but they don’t know how. Social and emotional interaction with their children can boost their confidence," said Germano Kimbro, director of the Male Involvement Network.

The services help the fathers become social, emotional and financial providers for their children, he said.

Fathers often are left out of the equation when family services agencies try to stabilize fragile families, said Barbara Tinney, executive director of the New Haven Family Alliance at 370 James St.

"Often, they baby-sit, buy diapers and formula when they can. Folks refer to them as underground dads," she said.

Low-income, non-custodial fathers often can’t meet their financial obligations, such as child support. Some of these fathers are homeless, while others can’t find a job because they lack education or job training.

"There is a difference between deadbeat dads and dead-broke dads," Tinney said.

However, not all fatherhood programs are created equal. As the concept of preparing low-income fathers for fatherhood becomes increasingly popular, funding agencies want more accountability, Kimbro said.

The accreditation programs provide accountability and evaluation measures that can improve existing services, he said.

The National Practitioners Network for Fathers and Families in Washington, D.C., designed the state accreditation process.

Other accredited fatherhood programs in the state include Family Strides of Torrington, Madonna Place of Norwich, Career Resources of Bridgeport, and Family in Crisis of Hartford.

Maria Garriga can be reached at mgarriga@nhregister.com or 789-5726.

©New Haven Register 2005

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