The research is clear: children thrive when they have an involved father or father figure—someone who loves them, knows them, guides them, and helps them achieve their destiny. At the National Center for Fathering, we work to improve the lives of children and reverse the trends of fatherlessness by inspiring and equipping fathers, grandfathers and father figures to be actively engaged in the life of every child.
Where We Began
In response to the dramatic trend towards fatherlessness in America, Dr. Ken Canfield founded the National Center for Fathering as a nonprofit, scientific and educational organization.
Mission
Today, NCF strives to improve the lives of children and establish a positive fathering and family legacy that will impact future generations by inspiring and equipping fathers and father figures to be actively engaged in the life of every child.
Culture
Here at NCF, we work to provide practical, research-based tools and resources to inspire and equip fathers to be actively engaged in their children’s lives.
Focus
We focus our work in three key areas:
Research – At the core of all the National Center’s work are Fathering Profiles, proprietary assessment tools that help men understand their strengths and opportunities as a father. Developed by a team of researchers led by NCF’s founder, Ken R. Canfield, Ph.D., the profiles provide insights for fathers and serve as the benchmarks for evaluating the effectiveness of our father-training programs. NCF continues to partner with researchers and practitioners interested in expanding the knowledge base of the fathering field. See our research page.
Training – NCF offers training through seminars, small groups, and training programs. We have reached over 80,000 fathers through our seminars and have equipped more than 1,000 trainers to provide our research-based father training in their local communities. Men interested in joining NCF’s team of trainers and father coaches can find out more.
Resources – Our website provides a wealth of free resources for dads in nearly every fathering situation including new dads and granddads, divorced dads and step fathers, adoptive dads and father figures. Dads who connect with us receive a weekly e-mail full of timely and practical tips on fathering. Daily tips and updates are also posted to our NCF Facebook and Twitter pages, in addition to our other social media platforms.
How You Can Get Involved
You can also get involved by donating to the National Center
for Fathering in our efforts to inspire and equip dads