We believe every child needs a dad they can count on. The research is clear: children thrive when they have an involved father—someone who loves them, knows them, guides them, and helps them achieve their destiny. At the National Center for Fathering, we inspire and equip men to be the involved fathers, grandfathers and father figures their children need.

In response to the dramatic trend towards fatherlessness in America, Dr. Ken Canfield founded the National Center as a nonprofit, scientific and education organization. Today, the Center provides practical, research-based training and resources that equip men in virtually every fathering situation to be the involved fathers their children need.

The Center reaches more than one million dads annually through seminars, small-group training, the WATCH D.O.G.S. (Dads Of Great Students) program, our daily radio program, and award-winning website and weekly e-mail. Our long-term goal is to create a culture of Championship Fathering by enlisting 10% of dads to make a commitment to fulfill the tenets of Championship Fathering.

We focus our work in four areas:

Research – At the core of all the National Center's work is the Personal Fathering Profile, a proprietary assessment tool that helps men understand their strengths and opportunities as a father. Developed by a team of researchers led by the Center's founder, Ken R. Canfield, Ph.D., the Profile provides insights for fathers and serves as the benchmark for evaluating the effectiveness of our father-training programs. The Center continues to partner with researchers and practitioners interested in expanding the knowledge base of the fathering field. See our research page.

Training – The National Center for Fathering offers training through seminars, small groups, and train-the-trainer programs. We have reached over 80,000 fathers through our seminars and have equipped more than 1,000 trainers to provide our research-based father training in their local communities. Men interested in joining the Center’s team of trainers and father coaches can find out more.

Programs – The Center provides leading edge, turn-key fathering programs that others can easily implement. More than 1,150 schools in 36 states currently have WATCH D.O.G.S. (Dads Of Great Students) programs. Learn about starting a program in your local school. 

Resources – Our website provides a wealth of free resources for dads in nearly every fathering situation including new dads and granddads, divorced dads and step fathers, adoptive dads and father figures. (See more topics and situations on our home page.) Dads who make a commitment to Championship Fathering receive a weekly e-mail full of timely and practical tips on fathering. We also have a daily radio program that airs on 600+ stations; selected programs can be downloaded from the website as podcasts.

How You Can Get Involved

Funding: The National Center for Fathering operates on a $2.5 million annual budget with support from individuals, foundation and corporate grants, and earned income from contracts and resource sales.