As a pilot project, the Teen Fathers Parenting and Visiting Program was a hit with teen fathers when it was first launched at Boys Republic, in 2009. It was successful enough that First 5 San Bernardino has renewed its support for the program with a three-year grant in the amount of $370,000.

Growing to responsible adulthood is hard enough for any child; without a dad, the hurdles are much higher. Social science research shows us that the presence of an involved, appropriate father plays a significant role in a child’s school achievement, self-regulation and social competency.

Most students placed at Boys Republic come from absent-father homes. They’re part of a downward spiralling multi-generational fatherless cycle: from early childhood abuse and neglect, into the child welfare system, to juvenile delinquency and out-of-home placement, and eventually to the adult criminal system.

The Teen Fathers Program seeks to intervene into that cycle. With classroom learning and hands-on experience, the 10-week voluntary program brings teen fathers together with their infants in what is hoped to be the beginning of a long-term parent-child relationship.