Family Formation

FFSC’s six-week Family Formation program provides 30 hours of coordinated services and activities that help parents develop parenting skills and cognitive and behavioral changes that empower them to be positively involved, nurturing parents. Sessions occur Monday through Friday. Day and evening classes are available. Throughout the program, parents are supported by an interdisciplinary team consisting of a Parenting Facilitator, Social Services Case Manager, Employment Case Manager and a Family Therapist. The team works collectively to address barriers for parents, such as substance use, unemployment and basic needs to reduce incidences of child abuse and neglect and ensure the development of responsible behaviors that promote healthy engagement with their children and family.

FFSC’s six-week Family Formation program incorporates positive co-parenting methods in its curriculum, encouraging participants to learn essential communication skills and strategies to help build or repair the relationship between parents.

Research shows that children who grow up without an involved father in their lives are…

• 20 times more likely to end up in prison and suffer from behavioral issues.
• 10 times more likely to abuse alcohol and drugs.
• 9 times more likely to drop out of school and end up in juvenile institutions.
• 7 times more likely to end up pregnant.
• 4 times more likely to grow up at or below the poverty level.

(USD HHS, Bureau of the Census).

Ultimately, children benefit from our services, as parents who graduate from our program gain the necessary skills and behaviors to be physically, emotionally, mentally, and financially well for them.

FFSC offers the services of a Family Therapist to directly help participants enrolled in the Family Formation process past trauma. FFSC utilizes a trauma-informed intervention model, addressing trauma from childhood experiences and how it impacts a participant’s ability to make life-changing decisions.

We connect fathers and mothers with great jobs and careers! FFSC’s Employment Development & Mentoring Program (EDMP) helps participants reach the financial stability needed to take an active role in the lives of their children and become participating members of their communities.

Classroom topics include communication strategies, job-readiness skills, mock interviews, resume development and career coaching. We identify the strengths and weaknesses of each participant. Then Career Advisors help identify areas of career interest and pathways to in-demand jobs, along with available training opportunities, matching participants with programs to help them earn certification that leads to job placement.

Male Health and Wellness equips men with information that promotes physical, mental and emotional wellness. The program empowers men to incorporate the “Ask Me 3” questions, get annual health screenings, and become advocates for promoting and maintaining good health.

Legal Services are offered to participants enrolled in FFSC’s six-week Family Formation program, providing high-quality legal assistance in the areas of family law, child support payment modifications, legal visitation, child custody, and more.

Substance Use Education informs participants of substance use and addiction’s impacts on the body, and the negative implications it has on families and communities. Participants are empowered by information to help make more responsible and healthier decisions.

On August 16, 2021, the City of St. Louis approved the use of Federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to address employment and training needs of parents impacted by the coronavirus pandemic by offering a Child Support Arrears Program for Individuals entering the Workforce, through its St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment (SLATE). Fathers & Families Support Center (FFSC) was selected to provide the project’s services.  

This project aims to provide educational and or employment training services, along with extensive case management and wrap around services, to non-custodial parents who reside in the City of St. Louis, who have been affected by the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and who owe child support arrears. The project will provide the following to those enrolled: credit against arrears for non-custodial parents, career exploration and counseling, financial literacy and empowerment skills training, job readiness skills training, life and coping skills, soft skills training, mental health services, case management, participant assistance, supportive services, and other wrap around services to assist non-custodial parents in building their resumes, sharpening their skills, obtaining credentials, and gaining valuable employment skills to make them competitive in today’s workforce. 

To be eligible for this project, the following has been explained to me:    

1.  I must be a St. Louis City resident (and live in a qualified census tract or not make more than $69,090 per year.  

2.  I must meet eligibility requirements by submitting the required documentation as explained on the Child Support Arrears Program Eligibility Form. 

3.  I must complete/submit all forms/documents requested of me as explained to me on the Child Support Arrears Participant Checklist. 

4. The custodial parent and child must live in the state of Missouri.  

5.  I must have child support arrears incurred between March 2020 through May 2023.  

6.  I must submit evidence I was impacted by COVID-19 pandemic.  

7. I must attend, participate, and graduate the Fathers & Families Support Center’s six-week program.  

Call us for more info! 314-333-4170 or email Desiree Bolden, project coordinator: dbolden@fatherssupport.org