QUESTION
Council Member Rita Joseph Asks DYCD About Outreach Strategies for the Fatherhood Initiative
0:46:08
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3 min
Council Member Rita Joseph inquires about the outreach efforts of the Department of Youth & Community Development (DYCD) for informing fathers about their Fatherhood Initiative. Deputy Commissioner Mike Bobbitt elaborates on various methods, including provider-driven recruitment at community locations like Home Depot, involvement in NYC Public Schools' activities, and special campaigns like 'Dad, Take Your Child to School.' He also highlights the importance of creating alumni spaces for ongoing support and engagement. This strategy aims to ensure that fathers are not just participants but active advocates within their communities.
Speaker 5
0:46:08
So what outreach does the YCD do to ensure that parents father's aware of this program?
0:46:14
Is it other than ACS courts volunteered?
0:46:17
Do you go to college campuses, or is this available in public schools?
0:46:21
I used to be a a public school educator.
0:46:24
I never saw this program come across.
0:46:26
I used to do a program called don't laugh, donuts for dads.
0:46:30
And it was one way it was one way to get dads into the building to talk about them because they usually are left outside of the conversation when it comes to education.
0:46:39
But we look to dads for discipline, but I always think it's a holistic approach into serving families.
0:46:45
So
Speaker 3
0:46:46
no.
0:46:46
I I I very much agree with you.
0:46:48
There's a wide array of things that we attempt to do.
0:46:52
So one, the providers themselves are always recruiting and in the staffing model is both case managers and outreach and retention specialists.
0:47:00
So one of the anecdotes I like is one of the programs in in Queens one of the staff will regularly go to Home Depot.
0:47:07
And outside Home Depot, you know that they are disinfected young men and say, hey, brother, you need some help with it.
0:47:13
And I'm like, I got a program for it.
0:47:15
Like, go where people are.
0:47:17
Actually, go walk by a playground in the afternoon.
0:47:19
Some of our programs are smart enough to enroll staff that understand those realities and can speak to mentalist situations.
0:47:27
There's things that CYC does essentially too.
0:47:30
So for several years, we've had our staff join with DOE now in NYC Public Schools.
0:47:37
Whenever parent coordinators are meeting or there's a a conference of things that they can do.
0:47:43
I mentioned in my testimony, dad, take your child to school, is a great campaign and a vehicle and it's an excuse.
0:47:49
So fathers haven't been on work, fathers or male caregivers or role models have been on people's radar.
0:47:54
Let's look at the start of the year.
0:47:56
Let's invite everybody in.
0:47:58
These events are never to slight mom.
0:48:01
So mom can have doughnuts too.
Speaker 5
0:48:02
And I do muffin.
0:48:03
I do muffins with mom.
0:48:05
So doughnuts with dad and muffins with mom.
Speaker 3
0:48:07
I like the elaboration.
0:48:08
So we do those things.
0:48:10
And then more recent, this administration, the commissioner has supported our doing and affirming fatherhood convening.
0:48:17
So we've done that twice.
0:48:18
We anticipate doing that again this coming June, holding for a date.
0:48:23
I wanna acknowledge the council council member Riley actually spoke at the last event, and I really appreciate his his consistency on that front.
0:48:32
We try to do it we can.
0:48:34
One of the things I don't wanna go on too long ago, but one of the things I think we've noticed, and I said in sort of a teasing way, sometimes dads don't wanna be in the program until they're in the program.
0:48:44
So we've created alumni with the programs, we've created alumni spaces.
0:48:49
So even though you got what you came for, once you found a welcoming environment in spaces where otherwise, Some days may not feel it's a safe place to talk.
0:48:57
Stay.
0:48:58
Stay and then use what you've learned to pull the next brother into the the program, but some of those folks can then go on and communicate.
0:49:04
So this is a direction that we wanna continue to lean.
0:49:09
And I think of that especially as I'm mindful of Mara Adams when he references Bishop 22.
0:49:16
You see people falling the river, you pull them out, but you have to go further upstream to find out why they're falling in, I think of a father initiative very much as being aligned with that.
Speaker 5
0:49:26
Chair, can I ask Sue?
0:49:28
Thank you.