OUR VISION
In an effort to reverse the trends of destructive relationships and to strengthen the infrastructure of our community First Things First:
• Advocates for strong, healthy, life long marriage (between a man and a woman);
• Promotes the fact that it is imperative for both mothers and fathers to be active in the lives of their children; and
• Works to prevent out of wedlock pregnancies.
OUR MISSION
First Things First is dedicated to strengthening families through education, collaboration, and mobilization.
The most recent data ranks Tennessee second in the nation for divorce, just behind the state of Nevada. Almost one third of Hamilton County couples have been divorced at some time. Although we have seen a 20 percent drop in divorce filings since 1997 there is still work to be done. In 2000, there were 1,803 divorce filings.
TheOur 1999 Hamilton County Marriage Report indicated that 24 percent of the population believes that marriage is a promise “as long as love shall last.” There are many couples who still believe that living together before marriage is a good way to “test the waters” before tying the knot. Research has proven that couples who live together prior to marriage have a much higher dissolution rate than those who do not.
Currently, more than 140 churches are involved in Marriage Savers, providing pre-marital counseling and mentoring to couples. We still need to reach the more than 530 remaining churches in the area with the message about the importance of pre-marital preparation and mentoring.
Research conducted by FTF last year revealed that 25.9 percent of Hamilton County middle and high school students have had four or more sexual partners, putting them at risk for pregnancy and disease. Of the sexually active respondents, 7.2 percent of the respondents had their first sexual encounter at nine-years-old or younger. Most first sexual encounters of the respondents, 60.4 percent, occurred between 12 and 14 years of age. Although we are seeing a decrease in teen pregnancies, we are seeing an increase in out-of-wedlock births among 20 to 35 year old single women. It is estimated that out-of-wedlock births cost taxpayers a minimum of $6.9 billion each year. Research shows that teenagers model the behavior of adults. Our citizens do not see the value of saving sex for marriage. If we are going to decrease the out-of-wedlock pregnancy rate, we must continue our work with teenagers and young adults to teach them the benefits of abstinence until marriage. There has been a 16 percent decrease in out of wedlock pregnancies in women ages 15-44.
“The most significant family, or social problem facing America is the physical absence of the father in the home,” according to 79 percent of Hamilton County residents surveyed. Nearly 40 percent of children in our country go to bed each night without their biological father in the home. Studies show that within five years, 90 percent of fathers are completely gone from the lives of their children. Sadly, the average father spends less than 10 minutes a day one-to-one with his child. We must continue our work to educate mothers and fathers about the importance of father involvement or a positive male role model in the life of a child.
First Things First is dedicated to strengthening families through education, collaboration, and mobilization.
OUR CURRENT SITUATION
First Things First began in August of 1997 in an attempt to reverse the decline of the family in Hamilton County and to promote positive initiatives and programs that would strengthen families and prevent the problems associated with family decline.
We have three goals:
• Reduce divorce filings by 30 percent.
• Reduce out-of-wedlock pregnancies in Hamilton County by 30 percent
• Increase father involvement in the lives of their children by 30 percent
One of the biggest problems facing Chattanooga is the disintegration of the family. Nearly 1,000 children are born out-of-wedlock every year in Chattanooga. More than 1,000 marriages end in divorce and 4 out of 10 children go to bed at night without their biological father in the home. Nationally, marriages are taking place at the lowest rate in three decades. If the current trends continue, out-of-wedlock births will exceed divorce as the leading cause of fatherlessness.
OUR STRATEGY
To use credible research to identify and understand significant problems facing Chattanooga, emphasizing families and youth.
To identify solutions that are based on traditional values and principles; to measure the effectiveness of these solutions based on credible, empirical data and to evaluate the impact of these potential solutions.
To build broad public support for values –based solutions through advocacy, communication, and collaboration rather than providing direct client services.
To empower and equip local leaders and professionals who work with families who are also promoting values-based solutions, and to provide support that advances their effectiveness.
AREAS OF SPECIAL FOCUS FOR 2001 – 2002
Cohabitation - One fourth of unmarried women are currently living with a partner. More than one half of all first marriages are preceded by living together. First time marriages have a 40 percent chance of ending in divorce. If a first time marriage is preceded by cohabitation the chances for divorce are increased by 50 percent. Which means there is a 60 percent chance they will divorce. Second marriages have a 60 percent chance of ending in divorce. If a second marriage is preceded by cohabitation the chances of divorce increase by 50 percent, which means there is a 90 percent chance of divorce.
Statutory Rape - In 1999 there were 4,411 pregnancies in Hamilton County. 1,874 of those pregnancies were out-of-wedlock – 240 Teen Pregnancies and 1,634 pregnancies to women over the age of 18. If statistics hold true 70 percent of the teen pregnancies were caused by men over the age of 20. This means 168 of the teen pregnancies were caused by men over the age of 20.
Stepfamilies – Each year 500,000 people become stepparents. There are 1,300 stepfamilies formed daily. We are receiving calls constantly for information stepfamilies.
Preventing Teen Fathers – Teen fathers are traditionally left out of the picture when dealing with teenage pregnancy. This absence has sent an erroneous message that they are not involved or interested in their children. With proper education and training we can increase fatherhood involvement and decrease teenage pregnancy.
STRATEGIC GOALS 2001-2002
Strategic Goal One:
Educate the greater Chattanooga community about the importance of strong families.
FTF will develop a comprehensive marketing plan to increase awareness of FTF and its issues from 46 percent to 51 percent by August 2002.
➢ FTF will conduct comprehensive media campaigns utilizing a variety of outlets to promote the four key areas:
• promoting marriage and combating divorce;
• promoting abstinence and combating out-of-wedlock pregnancies;
• educating the public about the negative impact of cohabitation; and
• promoting and enhancing the quality of fathering/parenting.
➢ Speak to area civic and community organizations to educate them about the issues.
➢ Plan public forums to create public awareness and change attitudes and behavior concerning the decline of the family.
➢ Coordinate special events to educate the general public about marriage/divorce, out of wedlock pregnancies, and fathering.
➢ Produce the Parenting Connection and distribute it to the greater Chattanooga community.
➢ Produce collateral materials to complement our work in the initiative areas.
➢ Maintain a website with up to date information about our initiatives, how people can partner with us to strengthen families.
These strategies will penetrate the greater Chattanooga community with messages about the importance of marriage, father involvement, and abstinence.
We will measure this by conducting new attitude research in 2002.
Strategic Goal Two:
FTF will collaborate with community organizations, educational institutions, and faith based groups who can help us increase, by 30 percent, services provided to the community that are geared toward saving marriages, decreasing out-of-wedlock pregnancies and increasing father involvement in the lives of their children to help strengthen families by August 2002.
➢ Determine the best local organizations to partner with to help them provide services biased toward saving families.
➢ Foster these relationships by providing training opportunities for these organizations with the best educators from across the country who are dedicated to strengthening couples and families.
➢ Work to support these organizations in their efforts by publicizing their work, which will in turn promote family revitalization.
We will measure effectiveness by conducting a baseline survey of services currently offered in 2001 and a follow up survey in August 2002 to determine services that have been added as a result of our work.
Strategic Goal Three:
FTF will work to mobilize individuals, corporations, places of worship, community organizations and the community at large to participate in activities that build up families and our community.
FTF will accomplish this through increasing the number of trained facilitators from 75 to 150; hosting a minimum of one community wide mobilization in 2001; distribution of timely material on a quarterly basis to community organizations, places of worship and corporations and follow up with these organizations to determine how the material is being used.
➢ Provide skills training for program leaders in curricula such as Seven Secrets of Effective Fathering, Quenching the Father Thirst, I-CANS of fathering, Donuts for Dads, Keeping Love Alive, Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program, Prepare/Enrich and Focus/Refocus.
➢ Provide timely information to corporations about family friendly workplace practices. We will provide family resource information to corporations that can be used in employee newsletters or placed in employee break rooms. We will encourage companies to provide lunch and learn opportunities to help strengthen families.
➢ Utilize the “10 Things You Can Do” handout to motivate and encourage people to mobilize within their own sphere of influence.
➢ Provide yearly mobilization training for community leaders and concerned community citizens.
We will measure this by the number of facilitators we have trained; evaluation of the community mobilization, and surveying the organizations that receive our materials to determine how they were utilized. Measurement of this goal will be ongoing through August 2002.
Strategic Goal Four:
FTF will implement the 2001 Development plan to increase funding sources by 10 percent.
FTF will accomplish this through:
➢ Hosting small gatherings at least once a quarter in different locations throughout the city to engage prospective donors in the work of FTF.
➢ Holding at least one large event with 900 participants with a major speaker to generate $100,000 during 2001.
➢ Sending out quarterly ask letters to inform donors about the work we are doing and encouraging them to partner with us.
➢ Engage perspective donors through increased awareness
For details of the development plan please ask to see the full plan
We will evaluate this goal by measuring the amount of revenue generated, the percentage increase in donors and the number of donor gatherings held in 2001
STRATEGICALLY LINKED ACTIVITIES FOR 2001 INCLUDE:
• Organizing Father of the Year Essay Contest and events (January to June).
• Training 100 additional mentor couples at a marriage mentor workshop led by Mike and Harriet McManus, founders of Marriage Savers.
• Training 50 Parks and Recreation staff members in Quenching the Father Thirst, a curriculum developed by the National Center for Fathering, which targets urban families.
• Training 100 educators, health providers, and other community leaders in issues surrounding abstinence education and strategies to reduce out-of-wedlock pregnancies at a community mobilization led by Ron Johnson.
• Strengthening 1,000 marriages through a marriage enrichment teleconference led by Gary Smalley, Chuck Swindoll, Les and Leslie Parrott, Dennis Swanberg and Kevin Leman.
• Training Urban League staff members in Quenching the Father Thirst, a curriculum developed by the National Center for Fathering, which will allow them to facilitate classes with men in their non-custodial fathers program.
• Work with Head Start to train 60 men utilizing the Seven Secrets of Effective Fathering Curriculum.
• Promoting National Family Week activities in November.
• Networking churches through a quarterly Marriage and Family lunchtime roundtable to disseminate information about resources and church initiatives to equip and strengthen marriages and families.
• Training 500 fathers at a Seven Secrets of Effective Fathering seminar led by Dr. Ken Canfield.
• Reaching 1,000 brides-to-be with marriage preparation information through attending local bridal fairs, giving brochures to wedding planners, photographers, and the county clerk and placing ads in bride magazines encouraging couples to take time to prepare for their marriage.
• Assisting churches in starting or enhancing marriage and family ministries.
• Expanding Boot Camp for New Dads.
OUTCOMES
Continuing efforts to decrease out-of-wedlock pregnancies, increase marital success, and improve the quality of fathering will profoundly improve the quality of life in Hamilton County, and, potentially, beyond our community. Significant improvement in these areas should have a direct impact on the general health and prosperity of our community.
FTF’s unique prevention approach has the potential to equip couples and families with the skills to become and stay healthy. FTF is committed to being intentional about providing the support and resources needed to enhance the quality of life for adults and children in our community.
The attached Initiative Work Plans demonstrate specific activities related to accomplishing the strategic goals.
