JOB OPPORTUNITY IN WASHINGTON D.C. (a work visa can be applied for, for the right candidate)

Promundo-US, an international non-governmental organization dedicated to gender equality and violence prevention, seeks a full-time Program Officer to serve as coordinator of the global MenCare initiative for promoting men’s involvement in caregiving and fatherhood.  Duties include:

• Providing technical assistance to Promundo projects in the area of gender equality, violence prevention and promoting men’s participation in caregiving and fatherhood.
• Coordinating and carrying out program evaluation and formative research with partners in various settings in Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, the Balkans, and Asia.
• Developing proposals and reports for funders.
• Organizing and implementing training workshops in the use of Promundo’s methodologies and approaches.
• Presentation of Promundo’s work at seminars and events globally.
• Assisting in developing budgets and managing expenses.

About Promundo

Founded in 1997, Promundo is an internationally recognized NGO working nationally in Brazil and globally in the area of gender equality and violence prevention. Promundo’s base of operations is Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where it carries out community-based work to engage men and boys in gender equality; to prevent gender-based violence and violence against children; to reduce homophobia; and to empower and achieve the rights of women and girls. Promundo also serves as global co-Chair and Latin American coordinator of the MenEngage Alliance, a global network of NGOs and UN agencies working to engage men and boys in gender equality.  The US office of Promundo coordinates technical assistance outside of Brazil, carries out advocacy globally and supports Promundo activities and fundraising in Brazil, and coordinates the global MenCare Campaign.   For more information, see www.promundo.org.br

About the Position

The Program Officer will report to the Executive Director of Promundo-US, based in Washington, DC, and work with a dynamic team of nine-to-ten other staff plus consultants. The position requires up to 30%travel. The position is full-time and includes health insurance, paid leave, and retirement benefits.  Salary is $55,000-$65,000 per annum depending on salary history and experience.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a relevant field
• A minimum of three years experience and a track record of success in program development, and technical assistance/program delivery in the field of gender equality
• Quantitative and qualitative research skills
• A minimum of three years experience and a track record of success in project and budget management
• Excellent English writing and speaking skills
• International experience
• Fluency in Spanish or Portuguese

To Apply

Proposed starting date is August 2013.

To apply, please send a 1) resume, 2) cover letter, 3) writing sample, and 4) references by May 27, 2013, to: contactdc@promundo.org.br

Please indicate in cover letter if you are a US citizen and, if not, your current visa status in the US if any.    Candidates from outside the US are also encouraged to apply.  As mentioned above, Promundo can apply for a work visa for the right candidate.

Fathers’ Story Week, now in its third year, is a nationwide celebration of the power of dads’ reading with their children. It takes place in schools, nurseries, libraries, prisons – wherever dads can be supported to help their children’s learning.

Children whose dads read regularly with them and support their education and learning, do better at school and have improved life chances (1). But evidence suggests dads read less with their children than mothers (2), are less likely to be seen reading by their children (3), and are less likely to be invited to get involved by schools and family services (4).

This year, for the first time, everyone taking part in Fathers’ Story Week is also invited to sign up for Fathers Reading Every Day (FRED) – a 4-week supported reading programme which can help dads and children develop a reading habit to last a lifetime. FRED is already operating in primary schools in London, Manchester and other UK cities, and staff and volunteers can now train to run the programme themselves for less than £300 per agency (5).

Adrienne Burgess, Joint Chief Executive of the Fatherhood Institute, said:

‘We know from the research evidence that when fathers are involved in their children’s learning they have a significant impact on their well-being and learning outcomes. Too often schools and other settings overlook their responsibility to engage with dads as well as mums – especially when the family is separated. Fathers’ Story Week is a great opportunity to start reaching out and getting more dads through the door, and Fathers Reading Every Day is the perfect way to build on that and help dads and children get into the reading habit.’

Fathers’ Story Week is endorsed by a host of celebrity supporters, from TV presenter Jeremy Kyle and Olympian cyclist Chris Boardman, to well-loved children’s authors including Julia Donaldson and Michael Rosen; and by key expert organisations including the Family and Childcare Trust, 4 Children, PTA-UK and the National Literacy Trust. Leading Construction Industry Scheme contract & payroll provider Hudson Contract has generously provided financial support.

The Gruffalo author Julia Donaldson said: ‘I’m delighted to support Fathers Story Week, and I hope a record number of dads and schools will get involved this year. In my experience fathers are great storytellers – and great actors. When I do my book shows I often need a little help from the audience, and ask “Who’s got a dad who’s good at telling stories and doing the different voices?” The fathers who are volunteered by their children are always brilliant at transforming themselves into farmers, cattle thieves, dogs, elephants, or whatever else is required.’

Free resources now available for download on the Fathers’ Story Week website include activity plans, template letters and a research summary for professionals; and for dads, top tips on how to read with your child; how to get your child into reading; and what to do if your child is a reluctant reader.

Notes

1 For a summary of the benefits of dads’ positive involvement in their children’s education and learning, see the Fatherhood Institute’s Research Summary on Fathers’ Impact on their Children’s Learning and Achievement.

2 Only 13% of dads say they are the main reader with their child, according to a February 2013 Booktrust poll. Read more on the Booktrust website.

3 One in three dads is never seen reading by his children (compared to one in seven mms), and below average readers are four times more likely to say their dad doesn’t encourage them to read, according to research by the National Literacy Trust. Read more on the NLT website.

4 In a survey of local authority managers conducted for the then Department for Children, Schools and Families in 2007, only 14% of secondary schools, 17% of primary schools, 19% of special schools and 23% of nurseries rated themselves as ‘father friendly’.

5 In the FRED programme, fathers spend 15 minutes a day for two weeks, reading with their children – then 30 minutes a day for a second two weeks. Each father documents the amount of time spent reading to their children and the number of books read. At the end the FRED provider holds an event to celebrate all the great work the dads and children have been doing. FRED in the US has been shown to improve children’s reading accuracy, comprehension and rate of reading; their writing; and their behaviour. It can also improve attainment in maths. The Fatherhood Institute is offering training, resources and ongoing support for 2 people to run FRED as part of their own service (we recommend one staff member and one volunteer dad per agency/setting) for £299. Read more about how FRED is working at a primary school in Lambeth.

Nick is a keen supporter of Fathers’ Story Week (10-16 June 2013) http://www.fathersstoryweek.org/, and this show, directed by Benji Reid, is his moving and powerful story about the journey from childhood to fatherhood and how pop culture raised him in the absence of his father. It also addresses his own struggle to come to terms with the responsibilities of being a parent.

The show takes place at the Spirit Level at Royal Festival Hall on Friday 31 May 2013 – 7pm and Saturday 1 June 2013 – 6pm. Read more details here http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whatson/my-father-other-superheroes-73722?utm_source=My+Father+and+Other+Superheroes&utm_campaign=fe89306f7c-My_Father_Other_Superheroes_News_Letter4_17_2013&utm_medium=email

After the show on Friday 31May at 8.30pm, poet Inua Ellams curates a mini ‘Midnight Run’ event celebrating the show’s themes. Read more details here http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whatson/midnight-run-with-inua-ellams-73272?utm_source=My+Father+and+Other+Superheroes&utm_campaign=fe89306f7c-My_Father_Other_Superheroes_News_Letter4_17_2013&utm_medium=email

MenCare Sri Lanka video

It was made by MenCare, a global fatherhood campaign which aims to promote men’s involvement as equitable, non-violent fathers and caregivers, in order to achieve family well-being and gender equality. Find out more on the MenCare website.

This half-day briefing event will cover ways in which the Early Years sector can work towards increasing the numbers of men working in the profession and working on encouraging the profession for men as well as showcasing some best practice working around male involvement.

The event focuses on why it is important to encourage men into childcare, and how to tackle the decline in male participation in the sector over the last decade.  Fundamental areas to be addressed include the perceived feminised nature of early years work as well as raising the status and profile of the profession.

Further details can be found at http://www.capitaconferences.co.uk/public-sector-conferences/childrens-services/full-conference/article/men-in-childcare-half-day-brief.html

The Fatherhood Institute together with the Family Rights Group has been working closely with child protection teams for two years in six locations in the UK. Out of this work has come a clear understanding of the barriers to better engagement with fathers/father-figures in child protection in England, as well as steps that can be taken to improve and maintain engagement. Where better engagement is taking place, local authorities are also experiencing cost-savings, through more children being placed with fathers and paternal relatives, instead of being taken into local authority care.

The FI has now been funded by the EU (‘Daphne’ funding stream) to extend and develop this work in the UK, the Czech Republic, Romania and Finland, from February 2013 for two years. The overall goal is to reduce levels of risk and raise levels of care for children in families where there are safeguarding concerns, through more and better engagement with fathers. Activities and outputs include a Literature Summary (per country); an audit of practice (per local authority/region – two per country); the development of locally ‘tailored’ audit tools; a Project Report; a Good Practice Guide; practitioner self-review tools and a range of training activities (workshops, training courses, action-learning sets) as well as seminars and high profile networking and dissemination events.

The total cost of the project as approved by the EU is €500,000. The EU are funding 80%, with the Fatherhood Institute and its partners needing to fund the remaining 20%. There are opportunities for other organisations to play a part in this project through a small amount of financial sponsorship which could enable them to develop capacity to take this work forward in other arenas, and/or be associated with dissemination events and key outputs, such as the Good Practice Guide. To find out more, email Mark Osborn at m.osborn(at)fatherhoodinstitute.org or call him on 07920 428 139.

The FRED for Years 1 and 2 pilot in Lambeth and Salford is funded by SHINE, the Walcot Foundation and the JJ Charitable Trust. The FRED for Foundation Years project is funded by the Department for Education as part of its National Prospectus Grant programme 2013-15. For more details about the volunteer-run FRED model, visit the FSW website.

In the FRED programme, fathers spend 15 minutes a day for two weeks, reading with their children – then 30 minutes a day for a second two weeks. Each father documents the amount of time spent reading to their children and the number of books read. At the end the school or other family learning setting holds an event to celebrate all the great work the dads and children have been doing.

FRED in the US has been shown to improve children’s reading accuracy, comprehension and rate of reading; their writing; and their behaviour. It can also improve attainment in maths – and acts as a great ‘way in’ to establishing wider engagement with fathers. Although FRED is a four week programme we expect it to instil new reading habits that can last for the child’s primary school life and beyond.

Read our April 2013 field report on FRED at Jubilee Primary School, Tulse Hill.

The course is suitable for a range of practitioners and is designed to help managers and staff from a range of disciplines and backgrounds, to include fathers in their practice, support positive father-child relationships and work with mothers and children on the topic of fatherhood.

The course costs just £199 per person (including lunch).

For more details and to book, contact Jeszemma Garratt on j.garratt@fatherhoodinstitute.org or tel 0791 7864130.

Others in the new Top 10 include First Time Dad, Life with an Autistic Son and Single Parent Dad.

Click here for the full list.

In the report, Are we nearly there yet, Dad?, the Family Strategic Partnership (led by Barnardo’s) plus a group of voluntary sector bodies (including the Fatherhood Institute) recommended that Government should collect data on fathers systematically, local authorities should appoint lead professionals to coordinate support for young fathers, and relationship support provision should focus more on supporting father-child relationships.

The report features six case studies of young fathers’ journeys through different aspects of family services, from maternity services onwards. Common themes throughout the six journeys are that the young fathers:

• are coping with complex identity changes

• often experience significant financial hardship

• require legal advice to maintain contact with their child

• benefit from relationship support to maintain contact with the mother, and

• need parenting advice as much as mothers, but tailored to a male audience.

Adrienne Burgess, joint chief executive of the Fatherhood Institute, welcomed the report: ‘It is so important that we do all we can to help young fathers, as well as young mothers, forge strong, positive relationships with their children. Young dads are among the most marginalised of parents in Britain today. It’s great that so many big organisations are now speaking out about young dads – something that would never have happened even five years ago.’

Download the report

Download the Fatherhood Institute’s Research Summary on Young Fathers

Buy Invisible Fathers, our resource pack for professionals working with young dads.