Maryland Adds 300 Fathers to Parent Program
A new partnership expands the Parent Encouragement Program to reach up to 300 more fathers across Maryland.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Child Care
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Maryland Gov. Wes Moore announced a partnership that enables up to 300 more fathers to attend the Parent Encouragement Program. A new cohort of the eight-week Family Resiliency Program has recently started.
Why it matters
The partnership is part of an effort to close opportunity gaps and support long-term well-being for boys and young men across Maryland. It expands access to a program that offers in-person and virtual offerings for fathers statewide.
A 2025 NORC at the University of Chicago report found 83 percent of parents reported a stronger bond with their child, 82 percent reported more capable parenting confidence, and 71 percent reported positive child changes. The report's sample size and the baseline comparison used were not specified in the extraction.
The players
Wes Moore
Wes Moore is the Governor of Maryland, who announced the partnership expanding the Parent Encouragement Program.
NORC at the University of Chicago
NORC at the University of Chicago is a nonpartisan research organization that published a 2025 report on Parent Encouragement Program outcomes.
The details
The Parent Encouragement Program, which began in 1982 as a small group of parents, offers an eight-week Family Resiliency Program that meets fathers once a week in small groups, with instructional videos provided to participants. The current cohort prioritizes fathers from 30 communities in 13 Maryland counties that are part of the ENOUGH Initiative, a state program to reduce child poverty.
Timeline
1982: Parent Encouragement Program founded as a small parent group.
2025: NORC report on Parent Encouragement Program outcomes published.
Nov. 7, 2026: Governor announced partnership adding up to 300 fathers.
Culture Shift
The expansion extends the ENOUGH Initiative, Maryland's state program to reduce child poverty, by directing a fatherhood-focused program into its 30 prioritized communities across 13 counties. It reflects a state-level push to treat fathers as active participants in child well-being rather than peripheral figures.
Fathers across Maryland may gain access to a structured, once-weekly parenting program with in-person and virtual options. Families in the 30 prioritized communities across 13 counties are the program's current focus.
The takeaway
Fathers interested in parenting support can look into the Parent Encouragement Program's in-person and virtual offerings, which include an eight-week Family Resiliency Program. Participation is open to fathers statewide as the partnership expands capacity.
Further reading
For related coverage of family support in the state, explore Child Care reporting on Maryland.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Washington Post.
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