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What is Father Inclusion?

Father inclusion is the practice of creating supportive environments, programs, and policies that intentionally and proactively involve fathers in their children's lives and in the services designed to support families. 

What Is Father Inclusion and How Can Organizations Implement It?

Father Inclusion is the practice of creating a welcoming environment within organizations — such as community programs and workplaces — by offering father-specific resources, training, and inclusive messaging that acknowledge and strengthen the vital role fathers play in family well-being and child development.

National Fatherhood Initiative® (NFI) provides the tools and training your organization needs to build a father-friendly culture — starting today.

What Tools Does National Fatherhood Initiative® Offer for Father Inclusion?

  • The Father Friendly Check-Up™. This free tool will help you, fellow staff, and other stakeholders (e.g. board members) comprehensively assess your organization's level of father-friendliness across four areas: Leadership Development, Organizational Development, Program Development, and Community Engagement. It scores your organization in each area, pinpointing where improvement is needed, and shows you how to turn those findings into no- and low-cost tactics to become more father-friendly. Download the Father Friendly Check-Up™.
  • The Father Engagement Certificate™. This affordable online, on-demand, self-paced training helps your organization develop the five core competencies needed to successfully engage and serve dads: communication, outreach, programming, partnership, and staff development. (This includes guidance on recruitment and retention.) Learn more about this training or see how other organizations have benefitted from it.

No matter where your organization is on its journey, it's never too late to build a father-inclusive culture. Even if your organization already serves dads through a fatherhood program or in the smallest way, it will reap the rewards of an initiative to become more father-friendly.