The Washington State Fathers Network (WSFN), begun in 1994, advocates for and provides support and resources for all men and their families who have children with special needs. We are funded by the Office of Children with Special Health Care Needs, Washington State Department of Health, Kindering Center (Bellevue, Washington), and private donations. The mission of the Network is to promote fathers as crucially important people in their children’s and families’ lives. This will be accomplished through:

• Building upon our 15 regional programs and statewide database of 2.000 fathers, family members, providers and agencies interested in promoting and participating in activities for men;
  
• Maintaining and developing our statewide steering committee of eight fathers committed to making the network a viable, accessible, and meaningful program;
  
• Continually assessing the needs of fathers and responding to these needs whenever possible;
  
• Sponsoring programs specifically designed for fathers and families of children with special needs, with fathers serving as facilitators, organizers, speakers, and panelists;
  
• Developing father support and mentoring programs, and a 1:1 telephone and e-mail networks;
  
• Developing and monitoring an Internet web site with extensive family resources, links, photo album, and articles for families and providers;
  
• Presenting at statewide, regional, and national parent and professional conferences;
  
• Assisting organizations and agencies in reviewing their current services and making sure their offerings are "father friendly" and inclusive of men;
  
• Networking through Connections, a tri-yearly father-driven newsletter;
  
• Providing scholarships for fathers to attend conferences, workshops, and activities relevant to their unique concerns;
  
• Sponsoring programs that bring fathers together from existing fathers’ programs (i.e., social events, campout, conferences, etc.);
  
• Sponsoring statewide and regional conferences to provide opportunities for men to interact and learn with other men;and
  
• Making appropriate written materials available in English and Spanish and other languages whenever possible, and being fully aware of the diversity of families living in this region.

Join us and make the Washington State Fathers Network a model program for the nation.

Washington State Fathers Network
Kindering Center
16120 N.E. Eighth Avenue
Bellevue, Washington 98008-3937
Attention: Greg Schell, Program Director

425.653.4286 (Tel)
425.747.1069 (Fax)
e-mail: greg.schell@kindering.org