Wings Family Supportive Services receives 'Agency of the Year' award

Kimberly has two dads and she is grateful for the part they played in her life as a child. When Kimberly was 4 years old, her mother divorced her father and was remarried.

Both fathers were very present in the care of her, according to Dorie Twist, executive director of Wings Family Supportive Services in Alexandria.

“Research has found that children that have active and involved fathers in their lives are more successful in school and less likely to drop out, are more self-confident with their respective male or female identities, are less susceptible to peer pressure, and less likely to get in trouble with the law,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be a biological dad; it can be anyone in that male role.”

Wings Family Supportive Services believes that it is a child’s right to have a relationship with both parents. It strives to foster positive parenting techniques with parents that will allow children a healthy and secure childhood.

It’s those kinds of efforts that earned Wings Family Supportive Services statewide recognition.

The Minnesota Fathers and Families Network (MFFN) presented Wings with its “Agency of the Year” award during MFFN’s annual summit on January 23-24.

Wings Family Supportive Services is an active member of MFFN. The mission of MFFN is to enhance healthy father-child and family relationships by promoting initiatives that inform public policy and further develop the field of fatherhood practitioners statewide.

For more information on MFFN, visit the website at www.mnfathers.org.

The Father’s Resource Program works to promote healthy fatherhood. Its primary goals include:

• Assessing the individual needs of each father for referrals and information including handouts on parenting, discipline, child development, and conflict resolution.

• Providing one-to-one supportive services to fathers that may be experiencing difficulties surrounding parenting issues.

• Providing legal support and advocacy with visitation issues to non-custodial dads, whether it’s through a divorce, separation or estranged relationships.

• Providing mentoring to young dads as they grow out of their teen years into young adults,

• Establishing opportunities for all fathers to improve their parenting skills through education and role modeling.

In addition to the Wing’s Father’s Resource program, Wing’s Family Supportive Services also has a transitional housing program for single mothers and children who are in need of housing due to domestic violence and homelessness, PLUS Kids Parenting Time Center, and Child and Youth Services are available to parents and children of the area who are in need of services.

For more information on Wing’s programs and services, visit its website at www.WingsFamilyServices.com or contact its office located at 1417 Broadway Street, Alexandria, MN 56308 or by phone at (320) 763-6638.

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