The Pittsburgh Parenting Partnership

The Second Chance Act Strengthening Relationships Between Young Fathers, Young Mothers, and Their Children provides funding to support the successful transition of young fathers and mothers as they return to their families and communities from incarceration. This program funds coordinated and comprehensive strategies that incorporate (1) mentoring and transitional reentry services proven to reduce recidivism, (2) effective parenting skills development and parent/child relationship engagement for young fathers or mothers, and (3) private and community service partnerships that promote public safety and support added positive outcomes for young parents and their children.

The Pittsburgh Parenting Project will improve reentry outcomes for 60 young incarcerated fathers by using evidence-based practices in mentoring, with an emphasis on changing behaviors and building parenting skills, integrated with comprehensive transition services to reduce recidivism and support responsible fatherhood that leads to healthy child development, resiliency, and improved interactions among young fathers, and their children, family and community members; thereby, reducing the cycle of delinquency, fatherlessness and poverty and promoting public safety. The objectives of the program are to provide young fathers with supportive mentoring, parenting and transitional services in both confinement and in the community based on and matched to their assessed risks and parenting needs that support their successful reentry. The project will achieve its goals by utilizing a Service Intensity Based Needs Assessment to gage participant needs in all life domains and develop a service plan to address all needs both during incarceration and through aftercare; providing mentoring and parenting education integrated with family engagement activities; providing education, employment and training opportunities; and by connecting youth to a host of supportive services through cross system collaboration with numerous providers.
CA/NCF