Fathers and male family members have an important role in early childhood development. Research shows that strong bonds between young children and the men in their lives can positively impact a child’s language, cognitive, and emotional regulation skills. If we want our children to have every benefit possible, we need to make sure that dads know they are welcome at Head Start. And our Head Start Fatherhood program has been doing just that by delivering programming tailored to the needs and experiences of men.
Following the huge turnout we saw last year; the Council hosted a second annual “Cuts with Dad” event. The crew from Cut’n Up Barbershop and other local barbers volunteered their time and talent to get our dads and dudes looking sharp. Fathers helped their sons learn about haircuts, barbers, and barbershop etiquette, and everyone got a little boost of confidence. Soon, the fatherhood initiative will bring fathers and daughters together to help men learn more about styling their daughters’ hair to help them get ready for school. Events like these empower dads to better care for their kids, be role models to them, and build stronger parent-child bonds.
Another well-liked opportunity for men to gather and talk as parents is the “Chop It Up” father’s group that meets monthly at the Prep Academy at South Lexington. After dropping their children off in the morning, fathers and grandfathers meet up to have breakfast and talk about things that matter to them. Dads have gathered with agency staff to share their thoughts and concerns about things like discipline at home, the stress of parenting, and health needs. Family Engagement Specialist Lawrence Williams, who has been working with the initiative, said, “Giving [fathers] a space to be without judgment and where they can be with other men who are in the same circumstances really lets them open up about what is going on in their lives.”
“March Dadness” capitalizes on Kentucky’s basketball fever to bring dads out for some guy time. With March Madness tournament games on the screen, food, games, and music, dads come together to get to know one another, meet some of our male staff members, and learn more about other programs and opportunities available to them. March Dadness helps fathers to build a wider network in the community and meet other men who are just as invested in their children’s development.
To learn more and grow their skills, staff supporting the fatherhood initiative attended the 14th Annual Fatherhood Conference put on by the South Carolina State Head Start Association in April. They learned new ways to engage fathers with their children and with programming, the challenges particular to men’s health, and even a few ways to help fathers better care for their children. Staff will be using this new information to deliver even better opportunities to fathers and children in the coming year.
We see a lot of moms in Head Start, which is wonderful! But we also want to make sure that dads and important male family members know we want to see them too! When fathers take an active role in their child’s education and development, they bring the skills and love that are unique to dads. Ensuring that fathers feel welcome at Head Start is just one way that we are building strong family bonds that support children from all sides.
For your reference: Information Memorandum ACF-ACF-IM-18-01: Integrating Approaches that Prioritize and Enhance Father Engagement encourages all programs within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) to prioritize fatherhood programming. The IM states, “ACF encourages HS and EHS programs to continue to engage fathers as advocates and lifelong educators of their children in ways that meet the different needs of their individual families and communities. Investing in on-going professional development for staff to help them assess and evaluate how they work with fathers and examining cultural perspectives to improve their understanding of the unique needs and strengths of fathers are some of the ways in which OHS programs are working to engage fathers.“