FRPN Research Brief: Pursuing Father Inclusion at the State Level Through FRPN Planning Grants

In October 2019, FRPN released a Request for Proposal inviting states to apply for small planning grants to develop long-term plans to enhance father inclusion in state programs and policies. Twenty states applied for a nine-month FRPN planning grant and in January 2019, FRPN made awards of $10,000 to 11 states: Colorado, Connecticut, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Washington, and Wyoming.  FRPN funders/researchers supported the statewide planning teams by: preparing a logic model for each planning site highlighting their proposed goals and activities; conducting bi-monthly check-in calls to monitor each team’s progress; organizing webinars on fatherhood commissions, fatherhood summits, and engaging with state legislators; and providing teams with site specific technical assistance and resources. At the conclusion of the nine-month grant period, each team was required to submit a written “Goals, Activities and Feedback Report” (the “Action Plan”), in which they provided a final summary of their activities and accomplishments as well as their anticipated next steps. This research brief provides an overview of activities and challenges drawn from site-specific Action Plans.