Care Net leads the pro-life community to serve fathers because fathers are 1. valuable to God, 2. highly influential in their partner’s pregnancy decision, and 3. vital for the future well-being of their child. Care Net’s fatherhood resources and strategies are informed by our national research projects, robust staff experience, and the Pro Abundant Life perspective that keeps the gospel and God’s design for family first. We’re not just about adding another program, we’re about renewing a healthy vision.
The Joseph Vision
For nearly fifty years, Care Net has been helping women find hope amid the uncertainty of unplanned pregnancy. Our work is inspired by the gospel account of the birth of Christ where God sent an angel to Mary with the news and to bring her courage. Mary accepted God’s will and glorified Him in response, but the story doesn’t stop there.
In Matthew 1, we read how, “An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.’”
Joseph was called to be a husband to Mary and a father to the child growing inside her, setting aside his initial plan to put her away quietly. While the response of another man–Herod the Great–was to put all the infants to death, Joseph pursued God’s model for family and offered protection to the Christ child. As a result, we read in Luke 2, “And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.”
With God’s vision of the whole family in mind, Care Net seeks to promote the importance of both mothers and fathers, equipping and empowering pregnancy centers and partner organizations to uniquely reach families in their own communities.
A Father’s Influence: Research
Men and Abortion
In 2021, in partnership with Lifeway Research, Care Net commissioned a national study of men whose partners had an abortion. The results showed the father as both the most consulted party and the single greatest influence in the decision, even though almost a third of men said nothing. This data shows the need to engage men involved in unplanned pregnancies, meeting them with compassion, hope, and help and equipping them to speak for the life of their unborn child.
Fathers Matter
When pregnancy centers encourage dads’ involvement with their children from pregnancy onward and provide support for the development of positive parenting skills, they make a multi-generational difference in whole families and communities. Our partners at the National Fatherhood Initiative share a host of statistics on the negative outcomes associated with a father’s absence contrasted with the positive impact of a father’s presence for both children and mothers.
Focusing on Fatherhood & Family: Real Impact
Investing in fathers and whole families has a generational, transformative impact! Care Net has the privilege of investing in fatherhood programs at pregnancy centers across the country, and the growth witnessed in individual lives and communities alike is thrilling to watch.
In 2023, Care Net offered funding, resources, and training to the fatherhood programs at 19 key affiliated pregnancy centers through our Pro Abundant Life Fatherhood Project. The results were historic for this movement. The 19 participating centers together reached more than 6,000 fathers in just a year, including thousands at pregnancy test and ultrasound appointments. 1,290 of these dads enrolled in Care Net’s Doctor Dad® online course and 491 graduated from all 8 sessions. This contributed to an 182% increase in fathers graduating from parenting education and support programs across these centers, with fathers demonstrating consistent growth in their knowledge, planned engagement, and competence in their skills as dads.
Get Started Reaching Dads
The encouraging thing for any pregnancy center seeking to launch services for men is that they are already experts at reaching people facing pregnancy decisions, and they don’t need to reinvent the wheel to reach men and fathers! It’s all about welcoming men into everything that’s already being offered, with the same standard of care, through parallel appointments and learning opportunities. Centers can be confident, put a launch team together, set some goals, and go for it!
Culture is Key
Expanding from a team of women who serve moms to a team of brothers and sisters in Christ who reach and build up families can be a big shift in the culture of a center. Below are two exceptional tools to help in this effort.
Welcoming Him
Welcoming Him is Care Net’s ebook resource for expanding pregnancy decision & support services to men.
Father Friendly Check-Up
The Father Friendly Check-Up™ is National Fatherhood Resource’s free checklist for examining the readiness of your organization to welcome fathers.
Empowering a Fatherhood Champion
Every pregnancy center needs someone to be the “squeaky wheel” for dads, whether that’s an existing staff or volunteer or a new position. This vital team member can be trained like any other staff member and will need support and encouragement as they build a team of male client advocates/fatherhood coaches. The Fatherhood & Family team at Care Net is all about supporting Fatherhood Champions, hosting monthly Zoom calls called Fatherhood Connect and a Facebook group for networking and sharing ideas. It’s a powerful community you won’t want to miss out on!
The Foundational Program
Did you know that when dads get involved right from the start, they affect their child’s health for a lifetime? Doctor Dad® is a one-of-a-kind practical self-paced course that equips men to care for their pregnant partners and learn the basics of infant-toddler health, safety, and welfare. New and expectant dads will gain knowledge and skills through 6 1/2 hours of teaching in an interactive online course. Centers don’t have to wait to have a robust men’s program to start offering Doctor Dad® courses. Sign-up posters can be placed in the center’s lobby and ultrasound bags, and centers can start offering a gift to dads who complete it. Pregnancy centers and churches supporting fathers can purchase group cohorts to serve fathers in their community with this practical support – now available in Spanish and with expanded lessons on health, relationships, and finances!
Volunteer at a Center
Are you someone who is not currently serving with a center but you’re interested in helping dads or helping your local center in their Pro Abundant Life efforts? The need is great for compassionate support to new and expectant parents – and you can be a part of that life-affirming work. Most if not all centers have an expanded impact on families thanks to a robust volunteer program, and we encourage you to join your local pregnancy center today!
Additional Outreach Opportunities
As centers begin to serve more and more men, they can use the gifts of their Fatherhood Champion(s) to expand their support for dads. They may offer 1-on-1 coaching with Doctor Dad® or use it to build up and celebrate dads in a group setting. Many centers partner with community agencies, and they can also build up the men’s ministries and mentorship opportunities in their local churches for warm hand-offs. They can also offer healing opportunities for men who’ve been impacted by past abortions.
Making Life Disciples
Research shows that 5 out of 10 men whose partners had an abortion were attending church regularly at the time of their first abortion decision. It’s vital for churches to be prepared to serve parents facing unplanned pregnancies through showing Christ’s love in practical ways. Making Life Disciples equips the church to invest in life-saving ministry in partnership with local pregnancy centers.
Reclaiming Fatherhood
Reclaiming Fatherhood provides a road map to healing for men who are struggling with the emotional and spiritual fallout of abortion. This book can be the first step in anyone’s journey out of survival and into hope, purpose, and fulfillment in life. You can also get connected with an abortion recovery group in your own community to walk alongside other men who have been there too.
The Future of Care Net’s Fatherhood & Family Efforts
Care Net’s leadership in serving fathers accomplishes a vital piece in the formation of families. While we fully believe that holistic family formation hinges on the involvement of both dad AND mom – and we feel called to respond to a lack of resources for reaching dads uniquely – Care Net seeks to expand our impact for the whole family in the future through practical support and resources for moms, marriage support, and more. Do you feel called to join us in this work? Help us invest in whole families through the love of Christ today!