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Lawmakers hear requests to renew funding for Goodwill'run Father Project after Wilder Foundation study showed high ROI
Summary
The House Workforce Committee heard Feb. 24 that the Father Project, a Goodwill Easter Seals Minnesota program combining job coaching and parenting supports for fathers, seeks renewed legislative funding after a Wilder Foundation analysis showed a roughly 3.4:1 return on investment for earlier funding.
The House Workforce Committee on Feb. 24 received testimony in support of state funding to continue the Father Project, a Goodwill Easter Seals Minnesota initiative that pairs employment services with parenting support for fathers. Two companion bills were presented: House File 606 (Representative Reimer) and House File 1376 (Representative Wayne Johnson).
Why it matters: Advocates said the Father Project supports family stability, helps noncustodial and low-income fathers secure jobs and provides parenting education and child-support navigation. Program leaders said the project produces measurable financial returns and improves outcomes for children and families.
Representative Tina Liebling Reimer (presenting Representative Reimer's text) described the program and cited a Wilder Foundation analysis of the 2023 investment that showed a return of $3.41 in productivity for every dollar invested. Representative Wayne Johnson, sponsor of a companion bill, said the program addresses barriers to employment and family engagement that can undermine workplace performance.
Andrew Freeburg, director of Family Stability Services at Goodwill Easter Seals Minnesota and director of the Father Project, described the program's approach: voluntary engagement by fathers, combined employment coaching, job placement and parenting classes, and local partnerships in Rochester, St. Cloud and other communities. Freeburg said, with continued funding, the Father Project expects to enroll about 450 fathers in the upcoming biennium, place 250 in new or better jobs and engage more than 400 dads in parenting classes.
Program participants also testified. Bojo Rogge, a former participant and now a father engagement coordinator, described personal reentry and employment success enabled by the program, including job transitions and stabilized housing. Lawmakers discussed possible grant and appropriation vehicles and asked whether the work could be funded as competitive grants rather than direct appropriations; authors said they were open to conversations on mechanics.
Ending: Both bills were laid over for possible inclusion in a future bill. Lawmakers asked staff to review program audits and nonprofit financials and consider whether a competitive grant model or direct appropriation is the most appropriate funding vehicle.
