This past fall, the NFL wasn’t the only one kicking things off! On October 1st, Care Net’s Pacific Northwest Fatherhood Project officially launched!
Care Net is excited to celebrate a major new step forward in serving fathers and families in the Pacific Northwest. After years of building resources and refining methods, Care Net has launched a dedicated three-year Fatherhood Project across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.
A Brief Background
For over 50 years, Care Net has been deeply involved in pregnancy help and support, but one area that’s been under-resourced is outreach to fathers. Since fathers play a critical role in pregnancy decisions and in the long-term well-being of the child, that began to change in recent years:
- In 2015, Care Net launched the Joseph Project, encouraging centers to consider their work in light of the call of Joseph in Matthew 1. God’s vision for the whole family—including fathers—amid an unplanned pregnancy inspired more centers to begin serving men as well as women.
- In 2021-22, a Care Net national pilot project worked with 10 key centers across the country and saw a 20% increase in the number of dads served.
- 2023 saw an expanded effort that reached more than 6,000 fathers across 20 centers, with significant center participation in the Doctor Dad® program.
- In 2024, Care Net ran a regional pilot in Texas with promising growth, including newly developed Doctor Dad® en Español and Healthy Dad sessions.
These successes have shaped the strategy for the Pacific Northwest project and brought clarity to how important regional, focused support can be.
Why the Pacific Northwest?
Care Net’s Fatherhood & Family Ministry’s Senior Manager (PNW), Brandon Gregory educates pregnancy centers about the importance of fatherhood ministry within the center.
Through research, conversations with local centers, and firsthand experience, Care Net has identified the Pacific Northwest as a region ripe for impact—but also in need of reinforcements. Both rural and urban centers in this area face unique spiritual, cultural, and logistical challenges.
Because of this, the Fatherhood & Family team has secured a major three-year grant from M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust and additional funding to specifically invest in the region. M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust,
created by the will of the late Melvin J. (Jack) Murdock, provides grants, programs, initiatives, and convenings for nonprofit organizations in five states of the Pacific Northwest—Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington—that seek to strengthen the region’s educational, social, spiritual, and cultural base in creative and sustainable ways. Care Net’s goal is to strengthen local pregnancy centers, equip them to serve men better, and drive meaningful, sustainable change.
What the Fatherhood Project Will Do
From October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2028, Care Net is partnering with 15 pregnancy centers across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.
Care Net’s Senior Manager of Fatherhood & Family Ministry for the Pacific Northwest will have the privilege to work with and help to either establish or grow their fatherhood ministries. Thanks to the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, these centers are receiving coaching, access to Care Net’s center training programs, printed and online client resources, and evidence-based tools at no cost. Also, Care Net is partnering with additional donors and foundations to provide funding to the 15 PNW Centers over the course of the 3-year project to further support their fatherhood programs.
Pictured is Care Net’s Senior Manager of Fatherhood & Family Ministry (PNW), Brandon Gregory, with the team of Echoz, a Care Net-affiliated pregnancy center located in Montana.
What This Means for Families and Communities?
This project is more than just expanding programs—it’s about building a culture that values men’s roles in family, faith, and community. By equipping pregnancy centers to reach and support fathers, Care Net hopes to foster healthier families and stronger communities throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Care Net is deeply grateful to the donors, church partners, volunteers, and local leaders for making this possible. Together, we look forward to a culture where women and men facing pregnancy decisions are transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ and empowered to choose life for their unborn children—and abundant life for their families—across the Pacific Northwest.