$331K Grant To Help Young Fathers Leaving Prison Goes To Family Services Of Westchester

PORT CHESTER, NY — Family Services of Westchester will begin fighting the legacy of incarceration with a new federal grant. With $331,250, FSW will help launch a new initiative called Bringing Fathers Back which aims to reduce recidivism and reinforce ties to family and community by providing mentors for young fathers who are returning home after incarceration.

An estimated 30 percent of men under age 25 in Westchester County jails are young fathers whose incarceration negatively affects their children and families. The award, from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in the Department of Justice, is intended to address the specific needs of incarcerated fathers and consider the needs of their children.

“This funding is essential to helping young fathers who have served their time successfully re-enter society and make positive contributions to their communities,” Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY17/Rockland-Westchester) said in a press release. “It’s about strengthening families and communities, and breaking cycles of crime and recidivism. I am pleased that DOJ has recognized the importance of the Bringing Fathers Back initiative, and I will keep fighting to securing more federal resources for the Lower Hudson Valley.”

Bringing Fathers Back will help these men make a successful transition home by working with them—both during their incarceration and after their release—to instill life skills for success in school, work, and family life, FSW officials said.

Although incarcerated fathers struggle with a variety of issues that mirror those of other inmates, their needs are particularly important due to the potential impact on their children, both while the father is incarcerated and once the father returns home.

“In addition to overcoming the material problems of finding housing and jobs, fathers reentering the community after incarceration often face emotional reactions, such as anxiety and stress. Many of these young men never had a positive role model in their own lives and they often struggle to overcome poverty and low levels of job skills and education,” said FSW President and CEO Susan B. Wayne in a press release. “By helping these young men become better parents and role models for their own children, FSW will contribute to the health and wellbeing of their families and communities.”

Bringing Fathers Back is designed to replace the social isolation of incarceration with a social network of community connections by offering the following components:

• Volunteer mentors will meet with recently released fathers on an ongoing basis to help them build self esteem and avoid risk factors such as gang involvement and problems with substance abuse.

• Parenting skills. A series of educational activities and workshops will include communication skills, family bonding exercises, and anger management strategies.

• Community partnerships. FSW will work with government agencies, community groups, and faith-based organizations to ensure that participating fathers have access to job training, housing, and other social support services.

The new initiative, which targets young men age 16-24, is based on nearly 10 years of experience working with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated populations.

FSW will operate Bringing Fathers Back out of its Mt. Vernon and Yonkers offices, where it already runs several successful parenting programs, including REAL (Responsible. Employed. Active. Loving.)

The program will rely on FSW’s own vast array of mental health and social services, including individual counseling; relationship and family counseling; parent-child mediation; and more.

Image via Family Services of Westchester