State-Wide Fatherhood Program, The R3 Academy, Launches In July In The Inland Empire

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif., June 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The R3 Academy, a new, 12-week, evidence-based Responsible Fatherhood program rolling out across California, is now accepting applications for its inaugural session in the Inland Empire. Presented by the relationship experts at Healthy Relationships California (HRC), the program, which will begin on July 11 at the Rancho Cucamonga Family Resource Center, is one of 15-20 R3 Academies taking place each year at sites throughout the state, including in San Diego, Los Angeles, Sacramento, and the San Francisco Bay area.

The R3 Academy is an innovative program, free to participants, that equips fathers for success in their three most important relationships—with their child, with their intimate partner and/or co-parent, and at work.

"Dads can make the difference in a child's life for years to come," observes James Flowers, co-director of Healthy Relationships Orange County, who will lead the R3 Academy in the Inland Empire along with his wife, Kathy. "When you're a dad, your child looks up to you like a superhero. This program helps you learn how to be one!"

"Healthy Individuals + Healthy Relationships = Healthy Families & Healthy Communities," Kathy adds. "Let's do the math & solve the problem!"

The R3 Academy was developed by HRC, a nationally recognized Relationship Education organization, as part of a federal grant they won in 2015 to support Healthy Marriage/Responsible Fatherhood programming. Over the past 12 years, HRC has won a succession of multi-million-dollar federal grants, enabling them to serve over 200,000 individuals in evidence-based Relationship Education curricula through local Partnering Organizations throughout California.

Participants in the R3 Academy complete two curricula:

• Raising World Class Kids—a 16-hour evidence-informed, skills-based Relationship Education curriculum that helps fathers strengthen their relationships with their children and with their partner or co-parent.
• JAM (Jobs and Money) Session—a 6-hour workshop that teaches financial literacy and offers employment support.

Some participants also are eligible for additional services to help them fully integrate their new skills into their daily lives.

The Rancho Cucamonga R3 Academy will meet for 12 weeks on Tuesdays, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., starting on July 11.

Interested fathers or father figures aged 18-50 must apply by July 3, via an on-line Eligibility Survey: https://r3academy.org/register/. Walk-ins are not accepted; participants must pre-apply to be included in the program. 

Two Info Nights will be held on June 16 and June 20, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., to give an overview of the program and participant responsibilities. The Info Nights will take place at the Rancho Cucamonga Family Resource Center, 9791 Arrow Route, Rancho Cucamonga, CA  91730.

For more information, visit the R3 Academy website: https://r3academy.org/san-bernardino/

Funding for this project was provided by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Grant: #90FK0108. These services are available to all eligible persons, regardless of race, gender, age, disability, or religion.

SOURCE Healthy Relationships California