New from the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse! 
In this February newsletter, we want to pay homage to grandfathers raising grandchildren, one of the most recent trends related to father involvement. Since 1970, the number of custodial grandparents in the United States has doubled to almost three million. Today, approximately 10% of children live with a caretaker grandparent, and, of these, it is estimated that 23% of grandchildren raised by grandparents (with no parent present) live with their grandfathers. So, for grandfathers who find themselves serving as father figures, we highlight useful articles and resources. And for programs, we feature research and best practices for programs serving grandfathers who are raising grandchildren. We also want to remind stakeholders that the Administration for Children and Families is seeking your comments and feedback on nonresident parent employment. More information is provided below.
For Dads/Grandads
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  Grandfathers becoming primary caregivers to their grandchildren.
 
Are you a grandfather who has taken on the role of parent to your grandchildren? Do you know someone who has? Grandparents raising grandchildren is becoming more and more common. Nationwide, 2.7 million grandparents are raising grandchildren , and about one-fifth of those have incomes that fall below the poverty line, according to census figures. One factor driving this increase is the nation’s opioid crisis. The resources below can help guide grandfathers in supporting their grandchildren:
 
The Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Act , signed into law by President Trump in 2018, will create a Federal Advisory Counci l to support grandparents and other relatives raising children. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will be the lead agency coordinating the work of the council. Its charge is to identify, promote, coordinate, and disseminate information about resources and best practices to help relative caregivers meet the health, educational, nutritional, and other needs of the children in their care as well as maintain their own physical and mental health and emotional well-being.
 
The National Community Reinvestment Coalition created a database of resources for grandfamilies to help provide support and assistance for older adults caring for children.
 
“Second-Generation” Parenting: Raising Grandchildren or Adult Children with Disabilities. Retirement, downsizing, grandchildren, and traveling—these words among many others are on the minds of Americans when they reach their 50s and 60s. What many of them have never considered this late in their lives is becoming the primary caregiver for their grandchildren. This issue brief provides resources on legal issues, social and emotional challenges, and financial resources for grandparents raising grandchildren. 
Social Media Spotlight
Check out our Facebook page and post a picture with your child/children and you may be featured in one of our newsletters.  
For Programs
Does your program have resources available for grandfathers raising grandchildren? Here are some items from the NRFC library that can help you develop or promote programs for grandads.
 
This resource profiles the experiences of efforts in nine states to provide mutual self-help parent support groups to fathers, grandparents raising grandchildren, incarcerated parents, parents raising children with special needs, parents in recovery, and rural parents. The document describes the contextual factors these groups face, and provides information on the different strategies states used to best meet the needs of families. Some strategies worked well in certain states and not as well in others. Geographic, demographic, and cultural variables impact service delivery. A range of references through which to access additional information is also provided. (Author abstract) 

This publication examines the nature and prevalence of grandfamilies in the United States and profiles the success stories of several individuals who were raised in grandfamilies. Equally important, it provides specific recommendations for how policymakers, grandfamilies, and the community can support every member of a grandfamily.
This guide offers strategies for systems and families to help fathers become more involved. The guide specifically addresses strategies for working with Hispanic/Latino, African American, and Native American fathers. It provides tips about involving grandfathers, working with young fathers and fathers in families who are involved in the child welfare system. The guide also addresses challenges of working with dads who are incarcerated, and those who are involved in substance abuse. 
Federal Register Notice: Nonresident Parent Employment
A key responsibility of all parents is to economically support their children, whether or not they live with them. Parents are better able to fulfill this responsibility when they are working regularly. The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) recently issued three Information Memorandums to encourage states to provide employment services to noncustodial parents. ACF seeks to further the development of employment programs for nonresident parents by soliciting information and recommendations from a broad array of stakeholders in the public and private sectors, including state, regional, tribal, and local areas. The Federal Register Notice (FRN)  deadline to share your feedback and recommendations for the ACF on employment programs for nonresident parents is  March 6, 2020 .  More information can be found  here.
Technical Assistance Webinar
February 19th 1:00PM - 2:30 PM EST
This webinar will explore lessons learned from fatherhood programming over the last 30 years. The National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse (NRFC) compiles these lessons to help others in the field. NRFC staff will share lessons learned from their work in the field and highlight key resources, including the  Responsible Fatherhood Toolkit , which was developed specifically for practitioners. Webinar attendees will learn about program components that must be carefully considered and delivered in any fatherhood program context, such as effective group facilitation, partnership development, outreach and recruitment, and staff training and support.

Register for this event  here.
 Upcoming Events 
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February 19, 2020
March 18, 2020
Newport, Rhode Island
Los Angeles, CA
February 24-27, 2020
March 29 – April 2, 2020 
Phoenix, AZ
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Our Mission: The goals of the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse are to provide, facilitate, and disseminate current research and proven and innovative strategies that will encourage and strengthen fathers and families and providers of services. 

Our Resources: Visit the  NRFC website for fatherhood topics and tools, news, and new publications, which can be found through the NRFC online library search . 
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