Madonna Place is proud to announce the 2024 recertification of the Fatherhood Initiative Program from the Department of Social Services
May 31, 2024
Madonna Place is proud to announce the 2024 recertification of the Fatherhood Initiative Program from the Department of Social Services. “We are thrilled and so proud of our dedicated Fatherhood team. Currently, we are the only state certified fatherhood program east of the Connecticut River. We see an increasing need for services in our community, and we are committed to helping families succeed.” says Claire Silva, Executive Director.
The purpose of the Fatherhood Initiative program is to increase positive interaction between fathers and their children. Often, the role of the father is overlooked in social services. Jason Malcolm, Program Manager states, “Our staff are experienced and knowledgeable about the barriers and issues fathers in southeastern Connecticut face on a daily basis. We use a strengths-based approach to work individually with fathers seeking support in family or child support court matters and offer intensive case management to DCF-involved fathers. We are consistently seeking to support fathers and their families through our work to ensure the best possible outcomes for children.”
Staff just returned from the annual New England Fatherhood Conference held in Newport, RI in March where they were able to gain new insights and expand knowledge in the field of Fatherhood services while networking with colleagues from neighboring states as well. Jason reiterates the importance of staff development and leadership in Connecticut, “Madonna Place staff are experts and leaders in the field of Fatherhood services and not only work with fathers and their children regionally -but are advocates helping to shape fatherhood practices state-wide".
Madonna Place, Inc., established in 1987, is a non-profit, comprehensive family support agency based in Norwich and serves Eastern CT. The mission is to strengthen families, promote health, and prevent child abuse and neglect through four key programs: Fatherhood Initiative, Family Support Center, Community Outreach Plus Education (COPE), and Great Beginnings Home Visiting. These four critical programs help parents build strong support systems to manage daily struggles, increase positive parenting, and build on ‘protective factors,’ which refer to the foundations used in a therapeutic strength-based approach to help families thrive.
In 2018 Madonna Place was awarded an expansion to our existing Fatherhood Initiative Grant through DCF to serve more fathers in the Eastern part of the state and Middletown with 24/7 Dad parenting classes and individualized fatherhood support.
Just recently, the Fatherhood Initiative Program received funding to expand work to support fathers with past criminal convictions or fathers transitioning out of the Department of Corrections to help them improve their parenting skills and create more positive relationships with their children. Claire Silva summed up this amazing program, “Our Fatherhood team has worked tirelessly to provide services that meet fathers’ needs. Services include assessment and referrals, advocacy, case management, group facilitation, peer support, support with court processes, paternity testing, and education about parenting and strengthening relationships with children. Countless studies confirm the vital role fathers have to their children.”
Pictured are the Fatherhood Initiative Program Manager and Madonna Place’s five Fatherhood Case Managers: Ismael Carrasquillo-DeLeon, Bryan Geyer, Randolph Flythe, Jr., Joseph Ortiz, Jr., Jason Malcolm (Program Manager) and William Marquez.
For more information, or help with parenting and Fatherhood services, please contact Jason Malcolm at 860-886-6600 ext. 144. We look forward to all that Fatherhood Initiative will achieve in helping strengthen families in 2024.
The purpose of the Fatherhood Initiative program is to increase positive interaction between fathers and their children. Often, the role of the father is overlooked in social services. Jason Malcolm, Program Manager states, “Our staff are experienced and knowledgeable about the barriers and issues fathers in southeastern Connecticut face on a daily basis. We use a strengths-based approach to work individually with fathers seeking support in family or child support court matters and offer intensive case management to DCF-involved fathers. We are consistently seeking to support fathers and their families through our work to ensure the best possible outcomes for children.”
Staff just returned from the annual New England Fatherhood Conference held in Newport, RI in March where they were able to gain new insights and expand knowledge in the field of Fatherhood services while networking with colleagues from neighboring states as well. Jason reiterates the importance of staff development and leadership in Connecticut, “Madonna Place staff are experts and leaders in the field of Fatherhood services and not only work with fathers and their children regionally -but are advocates helping to shape fatherhood practices state-wide".
Madonna Place, Inc., established in 1987, is a non-profit, comprehensive family support agency based in Norwich and serves Eastern CT. The mission is to strengthen families, promote health, and prevent child abuse and neglect through four key programs: Fatherhood Initiative, Family Support Center, Community Outreach Plus Education (COPE), and Great Beginnings Home Visiting. These four critical programs help parents build strong support systems to manage daily struggles, increase positive parenting, and build on ‘protective factors,’ which refer to the foundations used in a therapeutic strength-based approach to help families thrive.
In 2018 Madonna Place was awarded an expansion to our existing Fatherhood Initiative Grant through DCF to serve more fathers in the Eastern part of the state and Middletown with 24/7 Dad parenting classes and individualized fatherhood support.
Just recently, the Fatherhood Initiative Program received funding to expand work to support fathers with past criminal convictions or fathers transitioning out of the Department of Corrections to help them improve their parenting skills and create more positive relationships with their children. Claire Silva summed up this amazing program, “Our Fatherhood team has worked tirelessly to provide services that meet fathers’ needs. Services include assessment and referrals, advocacy, case management, group facilitation, peer support, support with court processes, paternity testing, and education about parenting and strengthening relationships with children. Countless studies confirm the vital role fathers have to their children.”
Pictured are the Fatherhood Initiative Program Manager and Madonna Place’s five Fatherhood Case Managers: Ismael Carrasquillo-DeLeon, Bryan Geyer, Randolph Flythe, Jr., Joseph Ortiz, Jr., Jason Malcolm (Program Manager) and William Marquez.
For more information, or help with parenting and Fatherhood services, please contact Jason Malcolm at 860-886-6600 ext. 144. We look forward to all that Fatherhood Initiative will achieve in helping strengthen families in 2024.
Contact:
Lori King, Development Coordinator
lking@madonnaplace.org, (860) 886-6600
