Paul Melville, Southeast Fathers and Family Network (SE FFN) Coordinator and Family Support Specialist at the Cape Cod Neighborhood Support Coalition was joined by Haji Shearer, Director of Fatherhood Initiatives at the Children's Trust Fund for the SE FFN's first "off Cape" meeting on May 13, 2013. The Southeast Fathers and Family Network has been connecting those who work with and support fathers from Cape Cod, the Islands, and to a lesser extent Plymouth and Bristol Counties for more than a decade. This meeting was an attempt to expand that regional network by involving more human service professionals from the South Coast. Representatives of a variety of agencies who serve families and fathers in Southeastern Massachusetts, including the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Transitional Assistance, Citizens for Citizens Head Start, and the Kennedy-Donovan Center, gathered in the HealthFirst Family Care Center community room to begin a discussion of how fathers could be better served and supported in their region. Organized with assistance from Wendy Garf-Lipp, executive director of United Neighbors of Fall River, the meeting engaged the participants in a dialogue about the barriers to reaching and serving fathers, and began a brainstorm about how they might breakdown those barriers and encourage more dads to play an active and supportive role in the lives of their children. Click here for a six-minute video from a portion of the meeting. To learn more or get involved, contact Southeast Fathers and Family Network Coordinator Paul Melville at 508-771-4336 Ext. 2 or paul@capecoalition.com.

(Top row, left) United Neighbors of Fall River executive director Wendy Garf-Lipp talks with Haji Shearer, Director of Fatherhood Intiatives at the Children's Trust Fund, and Paul Melville, Family Support Specialist at the Cape Cod Neighborhood Support Coalition and Southeast Fathers and Family Network Coordinator, as Sean Schofield of Community Care Services in Attleboro listens. (Top row, center and right) Paul opens the discussion after lunch and Sean responds by describing some of the barriers he faces in getting fathers to participate in the groups he runs. (Row two) Haji comments about how work affects parenting as Sangeeta Nasiff of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) Taunton Area Office and Gail Brennan, Healthy Families Program Director Kennedy-Donovan Center in New Bedford listen. (Row three) Jose Monteiro and Adelia Ramos of DCF share their thoughts before Wendy Garf-Lipp responds. (Bottom row) Lynn Iadicola of the Department of Transitional Assistance, Bryan Besse of DCF's Fall River Area Office, and Helen Raposo of Citizens for Citizens Head Start in Fall River share some of their thoughts about helping fathers be more involved with their families.