New from the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse! 
Happy July from the NRFC! Following our successful June 25 Twitter chat, Parenting from a Distance, this month we provide resources and support for fathers who may be physically separated from their children. This separation may be due to divorce, incarceration, military duties, living arrangements, coparenting challenges, or social distancing barriers. Whatever the reason, whether it is short-term or longer-term separation, we want to help you stay connected to your children.

And for programs, we will provide you with some resources for working with fathers who are parenting from a distance.

We continue to monitor events for cancellations and rescheduling of events as they happen and will update any changes on our website (have you checked out our new and improved webpage?) or on social media.
Enjoy July and remember to use sunscreen when outdoors!

As a reminder, the best way to prevent the spread of germs is h andwashing .   It involves five simple and effective steps (Wet, Lather, Scrub, Rinse, Dry).
For Dads
Dads can be separated from their children for a myriad of reasons. Some dads travel a lot for work. Military deployments require dads to be away. Incarceration and divorce can also result in separation between father and child. Whatever the reason, there are ways to stay connected when you’re apart.

If you want to bond with your children, make it a point to have as frequent and consistent contact with them as possible. Calling as often as possible is important to make you and your child feel connected. If possible, try to incorporate video chat as it can add another layer of closeness. Or maybe try and call at the same time each day, like calling before bedtime to say goodnight or read a bedtime story over the phone. 

If you can’t maintain daily communication, make it as often as feasibly possible for your particular situation. Supplement calls with handwritten letters, cards, and other small tokens of affection sent to your kids on a regular basis. Children remember these small acts of kindness and thoughtfulness. 
Very young children are unable to fully comprehend why a parent may be gone. Check out some of these resources to help your child understand what may be happening in their world. For children under the age of eight, Sesame Street created some videos   for military families facing deployments . They also have resources for  helping kids stay connected with incarcerated parents   and  divorced parents.  
 
Dads at a Distance provides many ideas and resources for staying connected to your children if you are away. Check out their  20 activities for long distance dads to do with their children  to help you stay connected with your child.   
 
For parents who live apart for whatever reason, consider developing a parenting plan.  Parenting plans  can alleviate the stress of arranging visitation and ensuring you are seeing your children regularly. Things to consider regarding seeing your children include being specific with dates and times for visits and calls, how to handle school, sports and other child events, and vacation time details.  Unless it’s agreed upon and written down in language everyone understands, that is binding to the parties involved, it may not happen. 
Social Media Spotlight
Dads, we know you’re juggling so many responsibilities at home right now, like other dads across the country. The National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse (NRFC) has created an important short video message to encourage and inspire dads like you to get connected and stay connected with your kids. Take time to be a dad today! Post a picture of your favorite moment with your kids on Facebook , Twitter , or Instagram.      
For Programs

According to the  NRFC Data Snapshot 2018: Living Arrangements of Fathers and Children, most fathers (just over three-quarters) ages 15–44 reported living with all of their children. However, a substantial number of men report having a child with whom they do not live--24 percent of non-Hispanic black men, 18 percent of Hispanic men, and 8 percent of non-Hispanic white men report having at least one nonresident child. These data provide some valuable information for programs wanting to establish a program to work with dads who live apart from their children.  
 
Programs often work with dads who do not live with their children or are away from their children due to many reasons. One of those reasons is incarceration. The NRFC has a  webinar  offering tips on how fatherhood programs can work to improve outcomes for incarcerated fathers and their families and presents examples of programs that are helping fathers as they return to their families and communities. 
 
  Working with fathers living apart from their children is a wonderful blog post from 2016 with valuable information for programs working with fathers and helping fathers stay connected with their children.  
 
Disclaimer: Reference to specific products, services, or companies does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the U.S. Government, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), or the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse. ACF is not responsible for the contents of “off-site” web page references or for any private, third-party, pop-up, or browser-integrated software or applications.
 Upcoming Events 
NRFC is monitoring events and will update our website and in newsletters if events are cancelled.
  Reminder! Free NRFC Technical Assistance Webinar
 
Wednesday, July 22, 2020
2:30- 4:00 PM EDT
 
As a follow-up to our April 22, 2020 webinar  Using Virtual Technology in Fatherhood Programs , we will be talking with representatives of five fatherhood programs that have been implementing new virtual services to ensure continued program support for fathers and families. This webinar will feature a brief overview of each program, followed by an extended Q&A session with the presenters in video mode. Please join us to hear about their progress, learn about their early lessons learned, share your own experiences (via our chat box) in delivering virtual services, and submit questions for the presenters.
 
Register for this event here. 
  
PRESENTERS:
  • Richard Barr, South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families
  • Guy Bowling, FATHER Project, Goodwill Easter Seals
  • Avis Files, Brothers United, Pathway Inc.
  • Nick Mazzeo, Dads Matter Program, Children's Bureau, Anaheim, CA
  • James Melton, Fathers and Families Center, Indianapolis, IN
 
MODERATOR/FACILITATOR: 
  • Nigel Vann, National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse

The Office of Family Assistance, through the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse (NRFC), is providing this technical assistance webinar for all responsible fatherhood practitioners, including current OFA grantees, and other interested stakeholders.
NOW LIVE!!!!  
You have new options for engaging with peers and keeping up with the latest information in the Fatherhood field.                      
 
The  NRFC Virtual Collaborative Community (VCC)  is designed to help and strengthen fatherhood programs, and all who work to support fathers, families, and children. As a member of the VCC, you can engage with peers on Fatherhood topics by creating or joining a group, discuss research and program tips on the Resources pages, and more. Easily join the NRFC Virtual Collaborative Community by creating a profile using your email address and enjoy all the networking and other benefits it has to offer.      
 
Also, check out the new look of the  Fatherhood.gov  site. It features the same great content you rely on–Responsible Fatherhood topics of interest, Dad Jokes, the DadTalk blog , and the NRFC library of research and resources–now easier to explore! We’ve also added searchable lists of Program Activities (for engaging fathers) and Kid Activities (for dads to do with kids). So check out the new Fatherhood.gov and join the NRFC Virtual Collaborative Community.
 Contact Us
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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