Serving More Dads Better: South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families highlights accomplishments in 2023 impact report

Tuesday, March 05, 2024

Tags: South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families , Foundations

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The South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families works to help dads overcome obstacles to being responsible and nurturing role models for their kids, which it highlights in its recently released 2023 impact report. The center served 51% more dads in 2023, serving more than 2,400 dads who received services like health screenings, parenting classes, legal guidance, relationship education and financial instruction. Strategic partnerships with like-minded agencies and foundations helped increase the center's bandwidth to reach more fathers and provide additional resources for them and their children.

The full impact report is available here

Karriem Edwards, president, penned an introduction letter for the report, which is below.

From the President

I am so proud of every father who strives to make that statement a daily reality in their children’s lives! I’m equally proud of our 5 local organizations and their dedicated front-line staff who provide fathers and young men with the vital support they need.

Recovery from COVID remains a challenge, and our state faces inflation and workforce turnover. However, our organizations continue to give fathers the training, direction, and encouragement they need to become the great dads they are destined to be.

Our collective hard work in 2023 saw a 51% increase in dads impacted compared with the previous year, while 28% more dads completed training. Also, 65% more dads in remote counties were served. Fathers receiving specific services increased by 123%.

That success was no accident. Fatherhood staff completed a rigorous training schedule with nationally recognized subject matter experts. We held regional informational sessions with DSS, strengthening our most strategic state partnership. We analyzed data to develop the most effective ways to reach dads. And the Center team obtained Six Sigma
program certification, which improved overall operational efficiencies. Each organization continues to receive technical assistance and resources to be successful.

But the work is far from done. Annie E. Casey Foundation research reveals there are still 418,000 children in SC living in single parent households. SC DSS has more than 145,000 open child support cases. Thousands of fathers remain disconnected from their children.

In 2024, we will continue to serve more dads by making best practice our standard practice and gaining resources to equip our local organizations to give fathers what they need to be great dads. Thank you for your support to reach more fathers and families!

Happy Father's Day...Every Day!

The South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families is a ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System.