With over 10,000 offenders locked up and another 5,900 on parole supervision, the potential for long term impact is tremendous. The culturally sensitive curriculum was developed using California Youth Authority staff, outside consultants, and the offenders themselves. The 60-hour course covers prenatal care, infant and toddler stages, discipline, prevention of domestic violence, medical concerns, bonding, and positive role modeling. Representatives of the communities where the institutions are located are invited to make classroom presentations to balance the delivery of the course subjects. Special Family Visiting Day activities reinforce the classroom instruction.
Mentors help the young men deal with the problems of being a father.
The Young Men as Fathers Program has received a great deal of attention as many people believe it to be an innovative program that meets a great need. A highlight of that attention in the past year was the program's showcasing at a fathers summit sponsored by the governor. The governor was concerned that the role of fathers had diminished and they are not being held accountable for their obligations to their children. Presentations throughout the day of the summit highlighted what men need in order to become involved in their families. A Young Men as Fathers teacher and a ward who had been through the program described the program in a panel presentation at the summit.