About us

2023 The Year of Be The Difference

Our Mission:  Finding a cause bigger than self to support opportunities that increase family and child protective factors with a focus on the impact of fathers by providing professional development for those who work with parents and caregivers so that they have the skills, knowledge, and access to resources they need to support their child's development, wellness, restorative justice, social justice, early childhood education, criminal justice and more that help children and their families thrive.

In 1996, the Fathers and Families Coalition of America worked with fathers and families whose needs were not being met in Arizona through a collaborative model that has led to a global impact. We started in 1996 as a grassroots organization dedicated to supporting the needs of low-income mothers and fathers on public assistance who desired to move out of poverty through our workforce initiatives. While at Pinal Gila Community Child Services, Inc. in Coolidge, Arizona, Dr. Sherry P. Ulmer, C.E.O., allowed and cultivated the process of envisioning. The ability to see beyond the needs of rural Pinal and Gila counties and develop one of the nation's first young fathers programs funded by the domestic policy change of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families gave birth to Fathers & Families Coalition. PGCCS created the foundation of Arizona Fathers & Families Coalition, Inc., which led to the Fathers & Families Coalition of America.

Our Head Start program soon learned many of our best intentions were not good enough because we lacked professional development and ongoing training to improve our services. Our collaborating partnerships struggled to go beyond the needs of young fathers and other TANF-funded services awarded for statewide programs. We soon learned that we would increase opportunities for the individuals and communities as we served with more excellent expert knowledge on helping others. This need for self-improvement has become an international call or request from the Fathers & Families Coalition of America to help others improve their personal and professional abilities. Since 2000, when we hosted our first conference at Mesa Community College, Mesa, Arizona, we have organized and trained over 1000 individuals annually. Finding A Cause Bigger Than Self is not a slogan; it is the core of FFCA. We have focused on providing professional development, training, technical assistance, and social advancement of policy & justice issues with peers throughout the United States and internationally for one purpose. We strive to be part of helping children and parents get the best out of us all as practitioners to mirror the best in each of the millions of children served through our affiliates, members, and stakeholders. The impact of FFCA has led to hosting or co-sponsor over 200 training institutes with twenty-two national conferences, thirty regional institutes, and four Caribbean programs.

In 2020, we revised our leadership development institute OAR Leadership Institute. At the 23rd Annual Families and Fathers Conference, March 8-11, 2022, we offered the Advanced Practitioner Credential Course and the O.A.R. Leadership program, rated a 4.89 out of 5 at our 23rd international conference with over sixty workshops. The program funded by Best Start, San Fernando Valley, California, in 2021, provided a dynamic 16-hour leadership program for parents of young children as we partnered with UCLA. The program demand has allowed others to join us from the United Kingdom, South America, Pakistan, South Asia, Australia, Puerto Rico, and the United States for the thoughtful journey. 

In 2022,  there is still a growing need to support the professional development and quality improvement training of those working with families. Since 2020, just shy of 3500 professionals have come through FFCA seeking social justice strategies to improve local, state, and international strengthening families and father initiatives. Since 1996, on some level, the opportunity to develop a new TANF-funded fatherhood initiative FFCA has made it a priority to work with exceptional leaders throughout the United States and internationally to address the essential opportunities in direct practice, policy, professional development, and community involvement with the primary focus on improving outcomes for children. The central purpose of the Affiliate/Member with stakeholders is to develop enhanced systems, capacity, and a vision to champion the needs of healthy families through engaging fathers in services. Provide platforms to enhance the discussions on creating a national model and national programming of the wellness of children with increased father involvement with high standards for implementation of services from state and local partnerships. Over the past 20- years, we have invested heavily to support the capacity of professionals, researchers, and parents by exposing them to technical assistance and professional development support to balance with network and local initiative development. Many of our colleagues and nonprofits were well-placed to work and help low-income individuals and disenfranchised communities. However, the representation of social justice steering committee represents thirty states. 

Part of the continuous improvement process is the ongoing improvement of the Fathers & Families Coalition of America. Finding a Cause Bigger than One's Self is more than our organization's tagline. We are a Quality Improvement Training Center to support others. This includes one of the most exceptional practitioner credential training programs available. Over two decades of learning together, we are still just as committed to that purpose and believe that you can manifest and be part of the change process with others as they achieve a healthier and happier life. The advanced practitioner program goes beyond skills working with others into self-awareness to examine living a life fulfilling in an overflow of happiness, purpose, well-being, and meaning for practical and evidence-based practices. The skills and experience allow practitioners to deepen their practice in an integrated approach to build skills, knowledge, and abilities through evolved-based and evidence-based interventions. Individuals will complete a comprehensive 15-hour program with a practicum for the final credential. FFCA has trained over 1000 professionals through this practicum in its 8th edition. As an approved provider, the tens of thousands of hours of Continuing Education (CEUs) support professional advancement. 

We have some significant plans for 2022 with our agency and conference theme, "Love The Last Word!" Please help us support our agency that has touched the lives of individuals in the top parts of the world. We are helping others who are Making a Difference in the Lives of Children! Fathers and Families Coalition of America's vision is to improve the lives of children through father involvement and build stronger families by growing domestic and international affiliates and membership for networking development, capacity-building assistance, and increasing common core standards for professionals working with fathers. We have been fortunate to have the Affiliate and Membership base grow. As We Grow, You Will Grow!

In 1773, Benjamin Franklin said, "Well done is better than well said." Without your involvement, we cannot do any of what we want to do! 

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I remain at your service... Me quedo a su servicio,

Dr. James C. Rodríguez, MSW
President & Chief Executive Officer
Fathers and Families Coalition of America
335 E. Albertoni Street,
Suite 200-430,
Carson, California 90746
424-789-4644 (c)
424-225-1323 (o)

Dr. Aida Díaz Rivera– Vice President
Medina Professional Center
Calle Monseñor Torres,
San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00925

Mailing Only
5045 W. Baseline Rd.
Suite 105-216,
Laveen, Arizona 85339