Native American Fatherhood & Families Association

To strengthen families by responsibly involving fathers and mothers in the lives of their children, families, and communities to provide happy, safe families.

Native American Fatherhood and Families Association's mission is to strengthen, keep and reunite families by responsibly involving fathers and mothers in the lives of their children, families, and communities. Founded in 2002, Native American Fatherhood and Families Association, an Arizona based 501c3 non-profit organization, strengthens families through four curricula: Fatherhood Is Sacred® Motherhood Is Sacred® (FIS/MIS), Linking Generations by Strengthening Relationships®, Addressing Family Violence & Abuse© and Suicide Prevention© curricula.
All curricula use time honored cultural principles and practices as a foundation to build strong families that are resilient to divorce, domestic violence, substance abuse, suicide and human trafficking. The result of these programs has been an increased awareness of the sacred purposes of families with strengthened relationships and communities. Over 60,000 parents have enrolled in local chapters and 2,200 facilitators have been certified to teach the FIS/MIS curriculum across the US and Canada.

Today many agencies and people tend to view fathers as the cause of most family and social problems. NAFFA helps to uplift and encourage at-risk families by taking the view that fathers:
Are the solution to addressing these problems.
Are the greatest untapped resources.
Must take the lead in keeping families together.
NAFFA is about change and the improvement of one's self. Our primary purpose is to keep families together by helping individuals recognize the significance of their sacred roles as fathers and mothers.

Testimonials

"This is the missing component for our TANF programs. Rebuilding, strengthening, and uplifting our fathers and mothers is key for strong, safe and happy families. This is the greatest gift that I, as an Executive Director, will ever give my people. It is what I believe will have the greatest positive impact on building our families strong." - Leslie Colgrove, Hoopa Tribal TANF, Executive Director

The Motherhood/Fatherhood program helped me understand. I left my kids for about 9 months and I started drinking. Their father slapped me with some child support papers and that whipped me into shape very quickly. I couldn't let my kids go. I couldn't do that. I didn't understand my kids' feelings. I am their mother. I still am. I'm doing a really good job. The facilitators were really inspirational.
They helped me with the grieving process. They've been a great support system. The motherhood/fatherhood program has helped me understand how important my culture is with my community and my family and staying connected to that has helped me stay on the right track. I don't drink anymore. TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) has started a dress making class so we can make ceremonial dresses. I'm able to make dresses for my girls.
They gave me a good insight of how blessed I am to be a parent and I'm really glad and I have a lot of family support. Al Pooley is doing a great job. I commend him for that. I plan on attending more Fatherhood/Motherhood classes and hopefully some more of the seminars that Al will be putting on. Annonymous mother.

I got pregnant right out of high school. I was 18 years old by the time I had my daughter. The father and mother I had destroyed my self-esteem then left me to pick up the pieces. When I finally had my daughter, the father wasn't around, neither was the grandmothers. I was in the first chapter of Fatherhood is Sacred/Motherhood is Sacred in Stockton. I was just a mess. Motherhood taught me that I'm not alone. They built a support network for us to talk to each other. For me to understand that I'm not the only one going through all of this pain and that everybody has their struggles. Everybody goes through this pain and that it will get getter eventually. The curriculum was pretty on point. It taught me to forgive. It taught me patience. Trina Fitzgerald

Facilitator for Round Valley Indian Tribe:
The parents see the program as a place where they are supported. A place that keeps them focused on their vision of having a happy, safe family. It really is a place where it's brining our families together and it's giving us an opportunity to have that common vision. And it's bringing again a goodness back to us for those families that maybe haven't seen that goodness firsthand. We are able to link them to the greatness that they came from. And when they get that message, it sure does give them a desire to want to be great with their own children and just be a better mother and better father with their children. We are so grateful to have the program. We have started the Linking Generations by Strengthening Relationships program and that program is actually being well attended. We are so grateful for it and what it's been able to do for our families...