Milwaukee County signed off Tuesday on a new, federally backed effort that aims to help local dads step up at home and at work. County leaders rolled out the FORGE Fatherhood Project at Wisconsin Community Services during the Week of the Young Child, pairing parenting classes with job-readiness supports in one coordinated program.
Federal grant backs five-year program
The county plans to tap roughly $5 million in federal FORGE funding over the next several years to run the initiative, according to Milwaukee County. Federal records list the award at about $999,999 per year, per the HHS grant database. The project abstract describes a five-year effort that expects to enroll roughly 1,800 fathers, according to the federal FORGE project summary.
What participants will do
The FORGE Fatherhood Project will offer curriculum-based workshops on responsible parenting, healthy relationships and economic stability, with each participant paired with a case manager to track progress, as reported by Urban Milwaukee. Programming will include training in communication and conflict management, résumé help, job-search support and referrals to housing and health services. Sandra Stevens described FORGE as “a program focusing on fathers of all kinds,” according to that coverage.
Who will run services on the ground
Milwaukee County Child Support Services has contracted with Wisconsin Community Services, Fathers Making Progress and UniteWI to deliver workshops and outreach, while Sojourner Family Peace Center and AMTC & Associates will handle staff training and program evaluation, according to county board materials. Clarence Johnson, CEO of Wisconsin Community Services, said FORGE will help fathers build “strong and lasting relationships” with their children, as outlined in the county packet.
Part of a longer, federally funded push
The FORGE award continues a run of Administration for Children and Families supported fatherhood projects in Milwaukee. Federal grant records show the county has operated multiple ACF-funded fatherhood efforts in recent years, with FORGE now listed among its active grants. Per the HHS grant database, the five-year FORGE project includes benchmarks for workshop completion, case management and employment outcomes.
More information about the program and partner contracts is available through Milwaukee County’s news and board materials.
