Welcome...

The Richmond Family & Fatherhood Initiative is dedicated to the mission of
“Creating a Community Culture: Connecting Fathers to their Families.” 
It is a city-wide initiative involving members of the Richmond community in efforts to encourage greater responsibility for fatherhood and to reduce unmarried births in the City of Richmond. The Initiative focuses on teens, young adults, and men from different walks of life; connecting, equipping and empowering them with essentials for positive lifestyle choices leading to sexual responsibility, self-reliance, and family responsibility.

Research has revealed compelling links between family breakdown and the core social issues facing the community. The breakdown of the family unit is a major contributor to poverty, unresolved anger, hopelessness, abuse and neglect, poorer health outcomes, poorer school performance, crime and violence.

Diminishing relationships between men and women, decline in marriage rates and the absence of fathers working cooperatively to raise their children are major factors explaining these social conditions and poverty in Richmond today.

The City of Richmond has one of the highest non-marital birth rates in the nation.  In 2007, sixty three percent of births in Richmond were to single mothers. To promote an increase of two-parent families and a more nurturing culture for children and parents, solutions must be determined and implemented by all members of the Richmond community.

Looking for solutions?

There are both and social and financial costs associated with a high rate of non-marital births and broken families. The Richmond Family & Fatherhood Initiative examines these costs and offers solutions in the document entitled “Cost & Solutions to Family Fragmentation & Father Absence in Richmond, VA”

This report examines the social and financial impact of family fragmentation and father absence n the City of Richmond, and provides six specific strategies for creating a community culture: connecting fathers to their families.

READ the report. Tell us what you think; become involved in reshaping Richmond’s future.