The New England
Fathering Conference
March 14th, 15th & 16th, 2023
Newport Marriott, Newport, Rhode Island
Click below to access resources from
Opportunities for a New Beginning:
Commissioner Gray's Opening Slide Deck
Contact Details for OCSE at ACF
Haji Shearer's Keynote Slide Deck
Resources refered to in Haji's presentation
Email Haji: HajiShearer@gmail.com
Email Doug: dedwards@realdadsforever.org
The New England Fathering Conference was thrilled to host
Opportunities for a New Beginning
on Wednesday, March 16, 2022 from 9 a.m. to Noon
Click the virtual conference image to watch a recording of the
event or read on for more details and to access related materials.
Opening Remarks: Commissioner Tanguler Gray, OCSE
Keynote Presentation: Haji Shearer, LSW
"Fathers as Agents of Positive Change: Dads and Neuroplasticity"
The period of early childhood is a time of rapid brain development. A father can also experience significant growth in his brain architecture during this time. This presentation explores simple ways to encourage fathers to nurture their own brain change in order to optimize both caregiving and adult development.
Dads' Stories: Moderated by Doug Edwards
"Let's Chat About Connecting"
A conversation with local Dads about the power and importance of their emotional connection with their child during the first 1,000 days and beyond.
Newport Marriott
25 America's Cup Avenue Newport, RI 02840
About Our Conference
The New England Fathering Conference (NEFC) was initiated in Massachusetts in 1999 and was held there annually until the Planning Committee decided to rotate the event around the New England region every two years. We’ve continued hosting successful conferences in Connecticut (2008, 2009 and again in 2016 and 2017), Rhode Island (2010, 2011, 2014 and 2015) and Maine (2012 and 2013), each with 300-400 attendees and presenters from across New England and beyond! We then brought the conference to Springfield Massachusetts for 2018 and 2019, highlighting how our work with fathers supports the legacy they are creating for their children and celebrating our 20th annual event. In 2020, 2021, and 2022 COVID-19 prevented the NEFC from meeting in person, but our work continued online. In 2020, we offered a three-part webinar series for fatherhood professionals and in 2021, we offered eight workshops at four quarterly sessions to keep folks engaged, and we kicked off 2022 with a virtual event (Opportunities for a New Beginning) on March 16th.