Family Services of Westchester's Bringing Fathers Back

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 Family Services of Westchester (FSW) proposes a program of interventions that will begin while the offender is still incarcerated and will continue through release and reentry into the community. These interventions, collectively called Bringing Fathers Back, include mentoring, case management, parenting skills, job readiness, and other individualized services designed to reduce recidivism and reinforce ties to family and community. Bringing Fathers Back, designed for fathers under age 25 years old who have been in incarcerated, will break the cycle of criminality and instill positive outcomes by teaching the skills to succeed in school, work, and family life. Under the Bringing Back Fathers project, FSW will work closely with the staff of secure confinement facilities to encourage young fathers who are high-risk offenders to participate in Bringing Fathers Back. Over the course of the grant period FSW plans to enroll 45 recently released young fathers into Bringing Fathers Back, which will operate out of Yonkers and Mt. Vernon in southern Westchester. Mentors will track participants’ progress on long-term outcomes such as reduced recidivism and more stable families among post-incarcerated young fathers as well as increased public safety. The program uses group counseling and one-to-one mentoring to help offenders who are young fathers reintegrate into their communities and connect with their families. CA/NCF