The Connecticut Fatherhood Initiative (CFI) is a statewide multi-agency collaboration, led by the Department of Social Services, working toward a common goal: to support children, mothers and fathers by focusing on the important influence of men who are or will be in fathering roles. CFI partners do this through systems change efforts as well as supporting direct services and programming for fathers, with a commitment to racial equity, gender equity and safe engagement of fathers with their children.

CFI formally began with the passage of legislation in 1999, as key leaders at the local and state levels continued to see children who had been impacted by father-absence and recognized this as a nonpartisan issue. Objectives outlined in the legislation include:

• Promoting public education concerning the financial and emotional responsibilities of fatherhood
• Assisting men in preparation for the legal, financial & emotional responsibilities of fatherhood
• Promoting the establishment of parentage at childbirth
• Encouraging fathers regardless of marital status, to foster emotional connection to and financial support of their children
• Establishing support mechanisms for fathers in their relationship with their children, regardless of marital & financial status
• Integrating state and local services available for families

CFI partners include the Departments of Children and Families, Correction, Developmental Services, Education, Housing, Labor, Mental Health and Addiction Services, Public Health, Veterans Affairs and the Office of Early Childhood; Judicial Branch Court Support Services Division, Support Enforcement Services and Family Support Magistrate Division; Board of Pardons and Parole; Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity; CT Coalition Against Domestic Violence; CT State Colleges and Universities; United Way of CT; legal services, researchers and numerous community-based    family- and youth-serving providers.

Children develop best when parents — whether they live with their children or not — are positively and proactively involved in their upbringing. Since the 1960s, rises in divorces, single-parent households and births to unmarried parents have shifted the landscape of many families beyond a single household. These dynamics impact how parents engage as their children grow. Unfortunately, policies and funding for services and resources are still focused on households, leaving parents who are not primary or custodial caregivers — most often fathers — without the support they may need to parent fully and effectively.

CFI promotes responsibility in fatherhood at multiple levels. It supports fathers in their personal responsibilities through multiple programs and interventions. At the same time, the Initiative advocates for responsibility on the system level, working to identify and address barriers in policies and practices that may hinder full involvement of fathers in all aspects of their children’s lives.

For more information visit the Connecticut Fatherhood Initiative website: https://portal.ct.gov/fatherhood

To find local programs, dial 2-1-1 from any phone or visit 2-1-1 Connecticut (211ct.org) and type in “fatherhood programs” and your town/zip code.