Guest Commentary: SWFL nonprofit outscores all Responsible Fatherhood Initiative Grant awardees and is denied by DCF
After the Department of Children & Families (DCF) in Tallahassee inexplicably removed Lee and Collier counties from their own list of counties available for fatherhood social services grants available by competition under HB 7065, Single Dads Outreach, Corp, a Florida nonprofit and 501c3, applied for neighboring Charlotte and Hendry counties. Single Dads Outreach has been active since the COVID reopening in Lee and Collier counties trying to engage and support single custodial fathers.
Fortunately, a grant was awarded to Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida, headquartered in Tallahassee; not Southwest Florida, for Hendry County. HB 7065 was unanimously approved by the Florida Legislature in 2022 to encourage local, grassroots and community-based efforts. Why are local efforts being passed over in favor of distant management and directors? There was a high quality, local applicant.
What is even more mind boggling is that the legislature in its passage of HB7065 wanted special emphasis placed on a “targeted population.” These are fathers immersed in the law enforcement, corrections, probation, family court and social welfare systems. Single Dads Outreach was the only applicant for Charlotte County, which interestingly enough is home to a county jail and a state penitentiary, prepared to offer assistance and services. Yet, in spite of their Southwest Florida proximity, highest grant application score statewide, favorable reception from the jail and prison administrations and being the only Responsible Fatherhood Initiative applicant for Charlotte County, Single Dads Outreach was denied by DCF Tallahassee.
For the time being, there will be no fatherhood services in Charlotte County.
The United States leads the world in fatherless homes. Russia, which is second, is not even close. Southwest Florida is not exempt from this embarrassing phenomenon. This is an “All Hands on Deck!” issue including fathers. It is the children that suffer along with society which may be harmed and unrealistically, needlessly overburdened. Only fathers, families, neighbors and local communities can favorably affect this dilemma, not more bureaucracy.
Single Dads Outreach, Corp is presently, petitioning the Florida Legislature’s Subcommittee on Children, Families & Seniors to take DCF to task. This issue demands a bold and new approach. DCF must explain how their unfair, unjust, and irrational decisions meet the intent and spirit of the Responsible Fatherhood Initiative. DCF should read the enacting legislation, HB 7065, mandated by those that stand for the citizens primarily and not state bureaucracies.
— Joshua Krakow is the Active Dads Administrator for Single Dads Outreach, Corp.. He and his team prepared this guest commentary.