‘Dads Make A Difference’ is the theme of the 2008 annual conference hosted by The Fathers & Families Coalition, Inc.’s Get F.I.T. (Southwestern Fatherhood Institute Training). The conference will be held July 8 & 9 in Tucson, Arizona. The mission of the FFCA is to enhance the capacity of service providers throughout the nation, so they will be better equipped to effectively serve fathers, mothers and children. In doing so, the FFCA is able to improve the outcomes for children, through healthy father and family interaction. Chicago attorney Jeffery M. Leving will deliver the keynote speech at the conference on Wednesday, July 9th, at 12 pm.
“Any man’s loss of a child diminishes mankind,” commented Leving, “we must educate the public on the vital importance of the relationship between father and child, he added. The theme of this year’s conference is ‘Dads Make A Difference’. A father’s absence hurts. The lack of a father’s presence in the life of a child is linked to substance abuse, teen pregnancy, promiscuity and a host of other issues that greatly lessen the child’s chance at a successful and prosperous life.
Mr. Leving has long held the belief that fathers who are armed with the proper parenting tools and resources will raise healthier children. Leving is the author of “Fathers’ Rights”, co-authored The Illinois Joint Custody Law, and has been a tireless crusader of the advancement of fathers’ rights in America’s courtrooms. The Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving, Ltd. represents fathers across the globe, ensuring that fathers remain strong and vital influences in the lives of their children. For more information about fathers’ rights, please visit www.dadsrights.com.
In addition to Mr. Leving, some of the other facilitators of the conference will include;
• Richard Claytor- Director of Fatherhood Initiatives for the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, Child Support Enforcement Division (CSE).
• Juanita Mendez, Ph.D., of San Francisco, CA; completed a qualitative study entitled “The Meaning of Fatherhood to Long-Term Incarcerated African-American Men”.
• Garry A. Mendez Jr. Ph.D. is the founder and director of the National Trust for the Development of African-American Men, in the DC area. Dr. Mendez authored a significant study of Incarcerated Men and Their Children. He is a nationally recognized force in the field of African-American men, incarceration, criminal justice and health as it effects those populations.
• Newt McDonald, M.Ed.-Newt is an instructor in the Child Development Department at Merritt College in Oakland, CA. He is co-director of the Preschool Lab School. A longtime member of the Bay Area Male Involvement Network (BAMIN), he has developed male involvement programs for a number of community-based agencies in the San Francisco Bay Area.
• Pamela Wilson, MSW- Ms. Wilson has consulted with Public/Private Ventures on their Young Unwed Fathers Pilot Project. Ms. Wilson consulted with P/PV (Public/Private Ventures) on their Young Unwed Fathers’ Pilot Project and co-authored Fatherhood Development: A Curriculum for Young Fathers’, among other numerous positions with non-profits.
The conference will host professionals and fathers from 15 different states, showing the growing presence of organizations committed to the education and uplifting of fathers in America and the effect they are having on men, women and children across the U.S. There is limited seating still available. For more information about the conference, please visit www.axffc.org. Press inquiries should contact Carrie Klepzig at 312-730-5864(mobile) or 312-807-3990.
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