Colorado Fatherhood Network
The Family Resource Center Association is proud to serve as an intermediary providing strategic planning, technical assistance, networking opportunities and staff support to The Colorado Fatherhood Network (CFN). The CFN is a father-focused, statewide, systems-level professional network for practitioners and programs working with fathers and families. The CFN provides connections, resources, education, evaluation, and advocacy to advance the field of Fatherhood and Family Services.
Mission: The Colorado Fatherhood Network (CFN) serves as a resource to identify professional resources to support fatherhood and foster a community of service providers, decision makers, and dads focused on parent access and engagement with their children.
Members of the Network include state agencies, non-profits, family resource centers, program practitioners, family programs, interested individuals, advocates, community activists, program facilitators, and dad leaders. The network is looking to expand membership opportunities across the state! Please visit our “Get Involved” page to learn how you can connect with us.
The Colorado Fatherhood Network’s History
The Colorado Fatherhood Initiative was created by Governor Roy Romer’s office in the mid-1990s to bring state, county and local decision-makers together to increase fathers’ engagement in their child’s life. In 1996 a state-level Task Force was created and supported by the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) to identify and implement actionable steps. Over the next 15 years, the Task Force expanded, becoming a Steering Committee within Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS). It eventually transitioned out of Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) to be hosted under the umbrella of nonprofit organizations. The network supported statewide fatherhood programs through networking, education, peer sharing, training and pass-through funding. In 2020, FRCA began serving as the host of the Colorado Fatherhood Initiative and since then, has expanded its reach and impact. At that time, FRCA undertook a comprehensive research process to understand the scope of fatherhood programming in the state. Click here to access the full Executive Summary Report .
Benefits of the Network
The network provides services to any practitioner working with families by offering:
- Webinar series featuring local and national experts
- Peer-to-peer networking and support
- Technical assistance
- Strategies for capacity building efforts
- Quarterly meetings to connect with other programs and individuals in the state
- Tip sheets with up-to-date information on best practices and national trends in fatherhood services
- Fatherhood Engagement Trainings
Network Leadership
The Colorado Fatherhood Network is led by the Family Resource Center Association and an active Leadership Team that helps inform and guide CFN’s strategic priorities.
- Christopher Clark, Fatherhood Program Administrator, Colorado Dept. of Early Childhood
- Alex Garcia, Denver Department of Human Services Operations Manager
- Amy Rosengrants, Prowers County Dept. of Human Services Adult and Family Services
- Ken Sanders, Fatherhood Consultant
- Alexa Schaffer, FRCA Colorado Fatherhood Initiative Manager
- Cristina Bearden, Parent Support Specialist, Jefferson County Human Services
