Caring Dads: Military Adaptation
The Caring Dads: Military Adaptation program is based on the evidence-based Caring Dads program, which has been shown to be effective in helping fathers reduce their use of violence and improve their relationships with their children. The military adaptation program has been specifically tailored to address the unique challenges faced by military families, including deployments, frequent moves, and the stresses of military life.
If you're a father within the military, participating in this program can help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to be a caring, supportive parent and partner. The program is designed to help you improve communication with your children, manage stress, and develop healthy coping strategies. Through group sessions, you'll have the opportunity to connect with other military fathers who are facing similar challenges, share your experiences, and learn from each other.
If you're a chaplain or social worker within the military, offering the Caring Dads: Military Adaptation program at your base can be an effective way to support military fathers and their families. By providing fathers with the skills they need to build positive, healthy relationships with their children, you can help reduce the risk of violence and improve family well-being. The program is designed to be flexible and can be adapted to meet the unique needs of your base and the families you serve.
For Canadian Forces Dads:
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The Caring Dads: Military Adaptation program is designed for military dads who are seeking support to improve their relationship with their children and the mother of their children. The program is evidence-based and focuses on child-centered parenting theory and practical teaching. It aims to engage military dads in reflecting on their fathering and how they were fathered, increase their awareness and application of child-centered fathering, and prevent the use of power and control in relationships with children, the mother of their children, and current/future partners. The program also works to establish a network of military peer dads for ongoing support in facing the unique family challenges as a CAF member.
The program offers a blend of group and individual programming to provide a safe environment for men to connect with one another and build a support system while exploring how they can connect to both their military and fatherhood identities in a healthy way. The individual sessions are important to delve deeper into the unique journeys of the participants in the CAF and fatherhood. The program is suitable for military dads who want to enhance their relationship with their children and the mother of their children and are open to reflecting on their parenting and relationship practices.
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To be considered for the Caring Dads Military Adaptation program, a member must:
• Identify as a Dad
• Be an active military member or have released within the last year
• Have no active charges related to domestic violence or abuse
• Have access to their children (They are not required to live with their children, but they must have contact with them)
• NOT be mandated to attend a Caring Dads program as condition of a court order or probation order.
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For MFRC Social Workers:
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The Caring Dads Military Adaptation program is designed to be facilitated by a partnership between Military Family Resource Centres (MFRC) and Base Chaplaincy.
Facilitators respectfully challenge and reflect back to participants on how their past experiences have influenced their parenting and relationships today and allow space to consider any changes they may want to make.
There are common themes that may arise in the program, such as difficult upbringings, the military raising participants, feeling isolated from their family, and feeling unsure or uncomfortable being vulnerable.
Participants may also have communication skills learned from the military and work environment that they bring home, which are not always child-centered parenting.
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Caring Dads Military Adaptation program should be facilitated by a team consisting of an MFRC Social Worker or Mental Health team member and a Chaplain, as their collaboration of experience and knowledge allows for the material to be appropriately and adequately covered.
The MFRC Social Worker will provide the necessary therapeutic skills and clinical insight when providing a program like this, emphasizing confidentiality and duty to report understandings that can arise when working with fathers and learning and hearing about intimate aspects of their family life. On the other hand, the Chaplain will bring a unique knowledge and connection to the military units on base, with an understanding of the chain of command.
The responsibilities of the MFRC Social Worker include securing funding through Gender-Based Violence (GBV) funds, designing advertising material and promoting the program through MFRC marketing resources, and managing registration and scheduling of intakes and individual sessions.
The Chaplain's responsibilities include connecting to Base/Wing Commander for promotion, accessing units and distributing marketing materials, and having knowledge of military lifestyle and unique details of various units.
It is recommended that a male and female co-facilitate the program. This will prove to be beneficial in both group and individual session work when exploring family origins and dynamics, gender roles and stereotypes, and vulnerability.
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Ready to support the health of CAF families in your care?
FIND OUT HOW TO OFFER THE CARING DADS PROGRAM AT YOUR MILITARY BASE
