The Cuyahoga County Board of Health offers training for nurses, healthcare providers and family service workers who have contact with expectant fathers and mothers before, during or immediately after their pregnancy and birth. 

Background:
Children without fathers present in their lives have well documented increased risks for poverty, social and behavioral problems, violence and aggression (McLanahan 1997).  Cleveland is among the poorest cities in the nation and ranks highest among major US cities in births to poor unmarried parents.  We must help fathers find a way into their children's lives and encourage them to stay.

The birth and pregnancy experience present a unique opportunity for hospital service providers to intervene and make a difference.  The Fragile Families and Child Well Being Study indicates couples often have high hopes of remaining together, marrying and staying actively involved in their child's life at the time of their birth.  It is important to build on these high hopes and help lay the foundation for co-parenting skills and paternity establishment.  Hospital's newborn home visiting nurses, Help Me Grow hospital staff and home visitors, prenatal clinics, and birthing services staff (nurses, social workers, and frontline staff) could make a critical difference.  In our society, negative stereotypes of unmarried fathers, especially those with more than one child, often get in the way of meaningful, positive interaction in these times.

It is imperative to raise the level of consciousness, increase sensitivity and share information about father friendly messages, teaching tools and inclusion for first line providers of services in the childbirth year.  The traditional stereotypes must be challenged with research, information and training, if we are to involve fathers at that "magic moment" of birth and keep dads engaged, hopefully for a lifetime.

To schedule a training or conference workshop, contact:
Sandi Hoch, RN
Cuyahoga County Board of Health
5550 Venture Drive
Parma, OH 44130
216.201.2001, ext 1341  office
shoch@ccbh.net