The Michigan Department of Human Services announces up to $980,000 in grants to 12 community-based organizations for Proud Fathers-Proud Parents services in 19 counties. Proud Fathers-Proud Parents are community support programs that have a shared objective of improving outcomes for Michigan children.

Through this initiative, DHS provides funds for community agencies to deliver specific responsible male parenting services and other services designed to promote healthy marriages and co-parenting efforts. Each grantee can receive up to $70,000 annually in actual cost reimbursement. The grants are part of a three-year cycle that will be renewed in October, pending state funding provided in the Department of Human Services budget.

"Whether parents live together or apart, they are connected by their care and concern for their children," said Michigan Department of Human Services director Marianne Udow. "These programs strive to improve the communication and problem-solving skills of parents to improve outcomes for their children."

The Proud Father-Proud Parent grantees are as follows:

Agency	Counties	Contact Person
Bay/Arenac ISD 4155 Monitor Road Bay City, MI 48706	Bay Arenac	Amy Muempfer 989-667-3275 muempfera@ baisd.net
CAN Council of Saginaw County 1311 N. Michigan Ave. Saginaw, MI 48602	Saginaw	Delores Gale 989-752-7226 dgale@ cancouncil.org
Capital Area Community Services 101 E. Willow Street Lansing, MI 48906	Clinton Ingham Eaton Shiawassee	Julie Kepler / Jeff Keener 517-482-1504 julie.kepler@ cacsheadstart.org
Child and Family Services of the Upper Peninsula, Inc. 706 Chippewa Square Marquette, MI 49855	Marquette	Tanya Savage 906-228-4050 ext. 115 tanyasavage@ miuplink.com
Community Action Agency 1214 Greenwood Ave. Jackson, MI 49203	Jackson Hillsdale	Shelley Hawver / Bob Pletcher 517-784-4800 ext. 235 Shawver@ caajlh.org
El Shaddai Counseling & Consultation Services 105 E. Front, #204 Monroe, MI 48161	Monroe	Victoria Brown 734-240-0372 el_shaddaicc@ hotmail.com
Genesee ISD 2413 West Maple Ave. Flint, MI 48507	Genesee	Catrina Wiskur 810-591-6159 cwiskur@ geneseeisd.org
Lula Belle Stewart Center, Inc. 1534 Webb Avenue Detroit, MI 48206	Wayne	Kathleen Walters 313-867-2372 ext. 206 waltersk@ lulabellestewart.org
Spectrum Human Services, Inc. 28303 Joy Road Westland, MI 48185	Wayne	Roberta Price 248-552-8020 ext. 280 rprice@ spectrumhuman.org
Spectrum Human Services, Inc. 28303 Joy Road Westland, MI 48185	Oakland	Pam Jaymes 734-367-6793 pjaymes@ spectrumhuman.org
Teaching Family Homes 1000 Silver Creek Rd. Marquette, MI 49855	Delta Menominee	Steve Rudness / Jerrry Migda 906-249-5437 steve.rudness@ teachingfamilyhomes.com
Teaching Family Homes 1000 Silver Creek Rd. Marquette, MI 49855	Chippewa Luce	Jim Whalen / Jerrry Migda 800-292-5257 james.whalen@ teachingfamilyhomes.com
United Methodist Community House 904 Sheldon SE Grand Rapids, MI 49507	Kent	Alvin Gray 616-452-3226 ext. 3004 AGray@ umchousegr.org
Salvation Army Teen Parent Center 1215 East Fulton Grand Rapids MI 49503	Kent	Tenitia Pulliam 616-459-9468 ext. 278 Tenetia_Pulliam@ usc.salvationarmy.org

The Proud Fathers program is a 14-week group-based program for fathers or other male caretakers of children and the Proud Parents program is a 10-week group-based program designed for married or unmarried couples. Both programs stress the importance of nurturing relationships between parents and children as well as family self-sufficiency.

Grantees will provide Proud Father services to adolescent and adult fathers, stepfathers or other male caretakers of TANF-eligible children. Grantees will provide Proud Parents services to adolescents and adult parents or couples of children that are TANF-eligible. Participating parents may be custodial or noncustodial and may be expecting to parent.

Eligible Proud Father participants must be: 14 years of age or older; a parent of a child under age 18 unless the child is 18 and attending school full-time; or expecting to parent.

Eligible Proud Parent participants must be: 14 years of age or older; a parent of a child under age 18 unless the child is 18 and attending school full-time; married, unmarried or contemplating marriage.

For further program information please contact one of the above listed agencies or Duane Wilson at 517-241-7050 or wilsond6@michigan.gov