DHS takes lecture to Tulsa for look at how fatherhood initiatives strengthen families

OKLAHOMA CITY --  Due to overwhelming response in Oklahoma City, the Department of Human Services (DHS) will bring a new lecture to Tulsa.  The lecture examines the role fatherhood plays in regard to children and families.  “Embracing Fatherhood, Leveraging Fathers:  Strengthening Families, Children and Community” will be held Wednesday, June 4 from noon to 1 p.m. in the Perkins Auditorium inside the Learning Center at OU-Tulsa Schusterman Center, 4502 E. 41st Street.

This lecture provides perspectives on the presence of a father within the home, and the impact on a child’s well-being.  It also looks at the enormous benefits including reduced poverty, increased family stability and improved physical and emotional health.  Additionally, it explores why some men are able to maintain a family presence while others struggle and considers what family-serving systems and policy development might do to better support fathers.

Guest lecturer Calvin Williams will lead the presentation, which also highlights fatherhood survey results in the Family Expectations and Oklahoma Marriage Initiative Programs.

Williams fills a critical role on the Public Strategies (PS) team as the thought leader for the development of promising practices in the areas of fatherhood. His expertise in that field is now being utilized in the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP) curriculum which he co-authored.

In his role at PS, Williams develops programs and interventions targeted to fathers of all types, with a focus on low-income custodial and non-custodial dads and their families. He is a gifted program developer and excels at community fatherhood engagement strategies designed to support men’s efforts to be effective dads. In addition to the Family Expectations and Oklahoma Marriage Initiative programs, Williams provides fatherhood-related services to the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Oklahoma City Public School District and other community-based family serving entities.

The Practice and Policy Lecture Series has been developed to provide thought-provoking presentations on Oklahoma's emerging policy issues, trends and best practices. The series is sponsored by the DHS Office of Planning, Research and Statistics and the University of Oklahoma Center for Public Management with the goal of providing the best educational opportunities available in a forum that offers participants an opportunity to question, share and learn from each other. 

All lectures are free and open to the public. For more information contact the Office of Planning, Research and Statistics at (405) 521-3552 or visit the Practice and Policy Lecture Series website 

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