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10‑year evaluation finds Alameda County Fathers Corps linked to stronger father engagement and system‑level changes
Summary
A consultant’s 10‑year evaluation presented to the Social Services Committee found high self‑reported improvements among fathers and measurable changes in service providers’ practices; presenters urged expanded outreach and additional funding as the county approaches the fourth year of a five‑year contract.
Arnold Chandler, the consultant who conducted the 10‑year evaluation of the Fathers Corps, told the Social Services Committee that the program is unusual nationally for combining direct services with system‑change objectives and capacity building for providers. "There's no model like this serving fathers," Chandler said, describing Fathers Corps’ work to make multiple institutions — health, child support, probation and social services — more "father friendly."
Chandler summarized survey and interview findings the evaluation team collected between early 2023 and early 2024. Among fathers who participated primarily in support groups, 89% reported improved interactions with their children, 81% said they applied new parenting practices and 78% reported improved confidence in fathering. Service providers reported organizational changes after training: 73% included fatherhood issues in strategic planning, 69% sought funding for father‑specific work and roughly half added recruitment or new services aimed at fathers.
Kevin Vermaan, representing the Fathers Corps (housed at First 5 Alameda County and supported by county systems partners), said the initiative is currently in the third year of a five‑year contract administered through Alameda County Health. He asked supervisors for help expanding the program’s budget: "We get requests literally weekly for services," Vermaan said, and noted the program’s desire for greater visibility so more fathers learn about it beyond word‑of‑mouth.
Presenters recommended several operational next steps: broaden outreach (including advertising and stronger referral pathways), add individualized one‑to‑one supports in addition to group offerings, reestablish a male‑specific learning community of practitioners, and pilot partnerships with child support agencies to reduce arrears in exchange for completion of program milestones. Chandler highlighted that sustaining parental access to children (for example, via parenting‑time agreements) is critical for fathers to invest in long‑term change.
School and community partners who use Fathers Corps services said the program has had visible local impact. Yelitza Pena, coordinator at Hayward Unified School District, credited the program with helping launch “Cafe Dad” and training parent ambassadors; Lisa Taylor of Oakland Head Start and library partner Anthony Proprnik described increased father participation in family events.
Committee members thanked presenters and asked staff to pursue follow‑up meetings with county agency directors to identify potential funding sources and develop a baseline count of the target population. The committee agreed to request an annual briefing going forward and to explore options for sustaining the work when the current contract approaches its fifth year.
