In addition to other programs, the Milwaukee Fatherhood Initiative seeks to strengthen family and community ties. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 50 percent of all white children and 75 percent of all black children born in the last two decades are likely to live for some portion of their childhood in a father-absent household. As stated on its website, the MFI’s mission is to “increase the number of children with involved, responsible and committed fathers (and/or father-figures) in their lives” and “to educate, equip, engage and inspire ALL sectors of society about … the positive benefits of responsible fatherhood.” In doing so, the Initiative seeks to remedy what it calls the most socially consequential and costly problem facing America today: the widespread absence of fathers from the lives of their children.
The MFI correlates absent-father homes with increased rates of crime, urban flight – a phenomenon associated with the decay of urban areas – and even higher taxes. In an effort to combat these statistics, Mayor Tom Barrett inaugurated the first official Milwaukee Fatherhood Initiative Summit in 2006. According to Outreach Coordinator Dennis Walton, the MFI has since served nearly 30,000 fathers and their families.
“People take for granted how hard it is to be a father,” he says. “Our focus is to provide resources to help empower men to be responsible, committed, and better fathers … so that they can be their very best for their children.” To promote this goal the Initiative regularly hosts a series of events to celebrate fatherhood and eliminate barriers to families of all backgrounds, such as the annual father-daughter dance and outreach summit. In partnership with Milwaukee schools and businesses, the MFI reaches out to as many as 2,600 fathers annually during the two-day summits.
Resources provided by the MFI include employment, medical and parental support, parental education, driver’s license recovery, and child support information to help fathers understand and navigate their situations.
As well as having access to the Initiative’s support networks, members of the MFI enjoy access to an upcoming event in partnership with the Milwaukee Brewers. Every year, the Brewers host a day trip for fathers at Miller Park. This includes private suites, field access, and food and beverages. Walton says that each year a participating child is selected to be a junior announcer, and a participating father is selected to throw the first pitch.
“This is really about men being able to have quality experiences with their children,” he explains. Becoming a member of the Milwaukee Fatherhood Initiative is simple and comes with a one-time fee of $25. In addition to access to exclusive events such as the Brewers trip and father-daughter dance, membership benefits include access to promotional discounts at certain local businesses and assorted membership rewards throughout the year. Interested fathers should check out the Milwaukee Fatherhood Initiative website or schedule an appointment for more information.