AFIRM invests in Memphis’ fathers by building capacity to reduce dependency. It establishes a pathway to the goal of equipping fathers to provide emotionally and financially for their children.
A Father’s Involvement Really Matters (AFIRM), and the promise of children reaching their full potential rests on whether parents – including fathers – are equipped to provide all aspects of a child’s support. By focusing on the things that often get in the way of Memphis’ low-income fathers’ support to their children – chronic un/under employment, unmanageable child support orders, and fragile relationships with the mother(s) of their child(ren) – our integrated service model AFIRM, is equipped to accomplish three goals:
Build capacity for healthy parenting and co-parenting.
Increase economic mobility and earning capacity
Increase sustained child support payments
Our model respects that low-income men need – and access – services differently than traditional programs deliver. We meet fathers where they are, through six well-established, trusted community sites across Memphis.
Career Pillar – By building occupational skills required for higher wage employment, then placing fathers into curated career-paths, we fuel economic mobility. Our employer partners across industry sectors let us target careers with advancement opportunities.
Parenting Pillar – Though peer support (by men, for men), fatherhood development workshops, and the option for co-parenting workshops, we cultivate a circle of trust that recognizes a father’s value and supports their ability to be emotionally present for their children.
Financial Pillar – Rightsizing child support orders (modifying an existing order or an initial order) raises the likelihood that child support payments will be paid consistently. It also reduces the risk of fathers withdrawing from their children due to the shame of mounting arrearages.
