Inland Empire men will be inspired, educated and better equipped to tackle the challenges of fatherhood and to be actively engaged in their children’s lives during the 2016 Inland Empire Fatherhood Conference.
The Aug. 20 conference, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at San Bernardino Valley College, 701. S. Mt. Vernon Ave. in San Bernardino, will feature workshops. There will be Spanish translation available. Jaiya John, a renowned author, poet and spoken word artist, is the keynote speaker at the Inland Empire Father Involvement Coalition (IEFIC) event. John, the author of “Father to Son: Ode to Black Boys,” will do a meet-and-greet and sign several of his books following his remarks. To register for the conference, visit www.iefathers.org/conference
“One of the most consequential social trends of our time is father absenteeism,” said Lesford Duncan of the County Children’s Network, who serves as co-chair of the Inland Empire Father Involvement Coalition (IEFIC). “The absence of a father increases a child’s risk of experiencing a host of poor outcomes in the short and long term, such as poverty, poor school performance, child abuse and neglect, emotional and behavioral problems, and incarceration.”
Now in its second year, the conference is a collaboration by the Inland Empire Father Involvement Coalition (IEFIC), a group of community-based organizations, county agencies, faith-based organizations, and individuals from various professions working to reduce father absenteeism and the negative images of fatherlessness. The mission of the IEFIC is to encourage healthy child development by promoting the involvement, necessity, and value of the role of fathers in the family and community. Participating San Bernardino County agencies include the Children’s Network, Children and Family Services, Preschool Services Department, First 5 San Bernardino, Child Support Services, Department of Behavioral Health, Department of Public Health Women, Infants and Children (WIC), and Probation.
Children’s Network of San Bernardino County works to improve the quality of life for children at risk who, because of behavior, abuse, neglect, medical needs, educational assessment, and/or detrimental daily living situations are eligible for services from one or more of the member agencies of the Children’s Policy Council.
Children’s Network and the Inland Empire Father Involvement Coalition are doing their part to help the community achieve the Countywide Vision by ensuring residents have the resources they need to provide the necessities of life to their families. Information on the Countywide Vision can be found at www.sbcounty.gov/vision