Michael Cupeles, Men’s Initiative Coordinator with Gateway Community Action Partnership Michael is a fatherhood practitioner and a community engagement leader, specializing in father engagement, family strengthening, prevention strategies, and systems collaboration across New Jersey. Michael serves as Co-Chair of the New Jersey Department of Children and Families Office of Family Voice Fatherhood Engagement Committee and […]
Category: Fatherhood
Fatherhood & Family Well-Being: View Webinar Recordings on Insights and Solutions for Thriving Families
Healthier beginnings and stronger families depend on supporting fathers, too. Below are our webinar recordings from the week of Father’s Day, where our guests shared ideas, experiences, and explored solutions that help children and families thrive. June 16, 2026 What do fathers need to ensure their children and families thrive? In this virtual session recording, […]
“We’re Here Too!” NJ Fathers Share Stories of Barriers, Bias and Invisibility
Despite decades of research confirming that father involvement significantly improves children’s social, emotional, academic, and health outcomes, New Jersey fathers — particularly those in under-resourced communities — continue to face a system that was not built with them in mind. This report draws on community conversations with 64 fathers across the state to document the […]
Fewer Than 30% of New Jersey Paid Family Leave Claims for Newborn Bonding Are From Dads
By Naomi Engelhard Leontine Young Fellow For more information on this topic, contact Diane Dellanno at ddellanno@acnj.org Despite the fact that New Jersey’s Paid Family Leave Insurance (NJ FLI) program is generally available to both parents, fathers made up only 29.7% of bonding claimants in 2023. NJ FLI provides cash benefits to bond with a […]
Happy Healthy Dads = Happy Healthy Children
By Keith Hadad Staff Writer For more information on this topic (or for more dad jokes!), contact Isaiah at ifudge@acnj.org. This Father’s Day, let’s take time to appreciate how much love, joy, and fun fathers bring into the lives of their families. Being the best superhero, teacher, and role model a kid could ask for […]
