 |
 |
| |
 |
|||
| Promoting Responsible Fatherhood | Federal Resource Site |
[ Around the Regions, Main Page ]
[ Region 1 |
Region 2 |
Region 3 |
Region 4 |
Region 5 |
Region 6 |
Region 7 |
Region 8 |
Region 9 |
Region 10 ]
Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas
Tomasia Pinter
Administration for Children and Families
Department of Health and Human Services
1301 Young Street, ACF-3
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: 214-767-2972
Fax: 214-767-8890
Scott Harper, M.P.A.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
Department of Health and Human Services
1301 Young Street
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: 214-767-6564
Fax: 214-767-0322
Evelyn Glass
Office of Family Planning
Department of Health and Human Services
1301 Young Street
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: 214-767-3088
Fax: 214-767-3425
Margarita Figueroa-Gonzalez, M.D.
Health Resources and Services Administration
Dallas Field Office
Department of Health and Human Services
1301 Young Street
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: 214-767-8068
Fax: 214-767-0404
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Region VI promotes and supports Fatherhood projects and initiatives in Region VI with agencies within States, Tribal, and Local government in urban and rural jurisdictions with private and non-profit/faith-based/community organizations. This includes showcasing model programs and best practices, disseminating information and research on the benefits of fathering and male involvement, and facilitating collaboration and cooperation across various agencies that will strengthen the role of fathers for the well-being of children. The Region VI Office has worked to ensure the fatherhood component of the ACF Key Priorities is addressed: Healthy Marriage, Faith-Based/Community, Positive Youth Development, Next Phase of Welfare Reform, Enhancing the Literacy of Children, Rural Initiative, and Prevention.
The following section highlights some of the activities going on in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. For additional information, contact ACF Region VI Fatherhood Contact listed above or the specific project contact listed.
Head Start.
Child Development, Inc. (CDI)
P.O. Box 2110
Russellville, AR 72811-2110
Phone: 479-968-6493
CDI’s commitment to father involvement has increased during the past year. Using a grant slated to involve more fathers in the program, every center and home base program in the agency has targeted fathers in meetings designed specifically for them. A father and community leader was asked to lead these meetings and address issues of importance to men. After each training session, each dad completes a PACT (Parents and Children Together) activity with his children and then a snack or meal is served. These meetings are a great success as fathers become involved in the activities of their children. Some fathers chose to meet during the summer when the program was not open and continue their discussions and cement their new friendships. Training materials and fatherhood curricula to encourage even more interest in the program are a priority as grant funds become available. CDI continues to assist fathers in understanding the vital parts he plays in his child’s educational process.
“Father’s Day”: one day set aside each week in which fathers or other male role models are encouraged to visit the center and read to their child and other children or do some type of activity with their child and other children in the center.
“Father Fest”: a 3-day event in which teachers and volunteers encouraged fathers or other male role models to volunteer in the center for a day or a few hours. More than a third of the enrolled children are represented at this event by a father, grandfather or male role model in their family. Activities and games were played and each family made a project unique to its household situation.
“Dad’s Day” Three sites are piloting a project similar to Watch Dog Dads. Dads will volunteer one day per year in the Head Start center and classrooms. Dads will be identified by a t-shirt or vest and their child will wear the same. Photographs of the parent and child will be placed on the bulletin board. A formal name for the project is in development.
“PACT” (Parents and Children Together) More than 1,800 PACT activities (Parents and Children Together) were documented between August and December 2005 with a 99.5% participation rate.
Staff members plan the PACT activities in coordination with the School Readiness Assessment and with the teacher/parent conferences, allowing parents to understand and emphasize their children’s school readiness skills. Since August, 641 fathers/father figures have participated in CDI parent activities, an increase of 120 fathers or 23% more than last year.
“21st Century Parenting”: classes at each Head Start center and home-based program to strengthen parental education and involvement and to promote healthy lifestyle decisions. Head Start centers and home-base programs have also begun making the environment more inviting for fathers by decorating with pictures of fathers and children and by asking them to lead training at parent meetings.
Head
Start
Jefferson Comprehensive Care System, Inc.
P.O. Box 1285
Pine Bluff, AR 71613
Phone: 870-553-2380
Current Efforts in Father Involvement
A partnership agreement with their local organization, Boule', which is a national organization of professional males dedicated to increase the awareness of the importance of male involvement in the lives of their children. The partnership agreement makes provision for a mentoring program held initially once per month as part of the Parent Committee Meeting. The partnership agreement made with the Boule' organization was implemented as designed with mentoring fathers as part of the monthly Parent Committee Meeting. However, fathers became apathetic after they (fathers) decided to hold the mentoring program at a separate meeting from the Parent Committee Meeting.
Special activities called "Dining with Fathers" where fathers have lunch with their children. This is a very successful activity enjoyed tremendously by fathers and has increased their participation in the classroom after the lunch is completed.
Activities Planned for 2005
Educating, equipping, and engaging Head Start staff, fathers, and families. This strategy begins with using the Father Friendly Check-up CD-ROM to assess their Head Start's father friendliness.
Creating a fatherhood resource center designed to bridge them into on-going groups and activities. The resource center will be a one-stop-shop for fathers that will include helpful brochures, CD-ROMS, posters, and information of activities and support within the community. The fatherhood resource center will provide the main recruitment vehicle to bring fathers into other Head Start groups and activities.
Delivering the 24/7 Dad A.M. and Doctor Dad programs. The 24/7 Dad A.M. program provides step-by-step innovative strategies to help dad develop the following fine characteristics of good fathering: self-awareness, caring for self, fathering, parenting, and relationships. Doctor Dad is a groundbreaking program designed to increase a father's parenting skills specifically in the area of health for infants and toddlers. This innovative approach provides home health and safety tips in which fathers learn strategies to improve childcare practices as well as form positive relationships. National Fatherhood Initiative staff will provide for a two-day intensive training on each of these programs to ensure effective implementation.
Support
Enforcement Services
(SES) — Access and Visitation
SES Fatherhood Contact: Robbie Endris, SES Executive Director
Phone: 225.342.4780 and E-mail: rendris@dss.state.la.us
Louisiana has an Access and Visitation (A&V) grant provided through ACF’s Office of Child Support Enforcement. The State has a contract with the 14th Judicial District Court in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The mission of this program is to give non-custodial and custodial parents the skills and tools necessary to effectively co-parent their children. This, in turn, has proven to improve the parents’ support of their children, both emotionally and financially. This is the third year that the agency has worked with the 14th Judicial District Court. During 2005, the agency contracted with Dr. Janelle Disney of McNeese State University for a program evaluation. Her report verified the success of the program. She prepared a “best practices” document for the agency, which will be used as a model for future projects.
Louisiana
Family Council
(LFC) — Mentoring Children of Prisoners
LFC Fatherhood Contact: Dan Tate
Dan and Gail Tate, President and Executive Director of the Louisiana Family Council, conducted a meeting with local ministers and the president of the Louisiana Baptist Convention. The focus of the meeting was mentoring children of prisoners. Reverend Dr. W. Wilson Goode, Sr., provided information and training on the Amachi Program, a faith-based national mentoring model for children of incarcerated parents.
Head
Start.
Caddo Parish Commission Head Start
4055 St. Vincent Ave.
Shreveport, LA 71133-3446
Phone: 318-868-6360
Caddo Head Start sponsors activities that involve Head Start families and the surrounding community to encourage male participation in the lives of children. Some of the activities involved the entire family while others were for fathers and children only. The overall goal of the "Father Initiative Project" is to assist and encourage custodial and non-custodial fathers to take share responsibilities with the other parent(s) (mother, step dad or others) in building strong and healthy families.
Father Initiative Council is made up of one male representative from each of the 13 Head Start centers and one from the partner the Arc of Caddo Bossier. The primary function of the "Father Initiative Council" is to meet with the coordinator to explore ideas and resources available to low-income families, and to plan the operations of the "Father Initiative Group". A conference is held in October specifically for fathers and includes training, activities and motivational speakers.
A Monthly Newsletter is provided to each family and covers subjects such as health, nutrition, education, safety, literacy, things of interest for young children in the community, and especially on successful parenting.
Monthly Training/Activity for Dads is provided at each Center with training on subjects of interest such as writing job resumes to participating in clean up efforts.
Hoops for Dads is a Christmas fundraiser that recognizes outstanding youth within the community. A $500.00 scholarship is given to honor a youth who was killed as an innocent bystander, when a gunfight erupted between two rival gangs. The Head Start fathers also play a game of basketball with a local group of radio and television celebrities.
Family Night Out, Fathers bring their entire family to a local Family Life Center for family activities, self-improvement, entertainment, and a meal.
Child
Support Enforcement
Division (CSED)
New Mexico Human Services Department
CSE Fatherhood Contact: Jacqueline M. Baca
Phone: 800-288-7207 - Toll Free in New Mexico
800-585-7631 - Toll Free Out-of-State
GRADS (Graduation, Reality and Duel-Role Skills) is a federally funded program at schools which enables teenage parents to complete their high school education while on-site day care is provided. In 1996, the CSED partnered with the 30 GRADS programs in the State, and continues to provide information and educational materials and to conduct presentations at each site.
In 1999, CSED and the Children Youth and Families Department, the New Mexico Head Start Program, and the Administration for Children and Families, Region VI, entered into a partnership to provide Head Start personnel and families information on voluntary establishment of paternity and child support services. Through direct presentations and distribution of informational materials, CSED reaches approximately 7,700 head start families statewide. This partnership is continuing.
In recent years, CSED has become more involved in promoting responsible fatherhood and addressing fatherhood concerns. Through fatherhood support groups, CSED provides information regarding a father's rights and responsibilities and services available. CSED works with fathers groups such as the NM Young Fathers Project, GRADS & DADS, La Vida Institute Circulo de Hombres, Ayudantes, Adolescent Family Life Program, as well as Head Start programs, and the Department of Corrections.
The CSED Voluntary Paternity Unit continues to render presentations to various groups, i.e., faith based organizations, county health offices, WIC, Native American tribal census offices, family service organizations, male involvement groups, and correctional facilities.
New
Mexico Young Fathers
Project (YFP)
Carl W. Dellinger, Project Director
PO Box 35997
Albuquerque NM 87176-5997
Telephone: (505) 254-8737
website: youngfathers.org
The New Mexico Young Fathers Project (NMYFP) is a project of the New Mexico Teen Pregnancy Coalition and is committed to providing support to young fathers age 26 and younger. This is done through helping them to improve their parenting skills, increase their educational levels, and expand their employment capabilities. Both one on one case management and weekly support groups are available. The project was created in recognition of the need for outreach to young fathers in New Mexico. The NMYFP also realizes the importance of acknowledging young fathers for taking on the responsibilities of providing a better life for themselves and their children. NMYFP sites are located in Albuquerque, Las Cruces/Anthony Areas, Santa Fe and Springer. A peer mentor/educator portion of the project is powerful and operates by training young father clients to present to middle school students and community groups. Funding sources include the State of New Mexico Department of Children, Youth & Families, Santa Fe Community Foundation, other foundations, community based organizations and agencies.
Head
Start.
YDI Head Start/Early Head Start
6301 Central NW
Albuquerque, NM 87105
Phone: 505-831-6038
The YDI Fatherhood Initiative Program convenes fathers on a regular basis for presentations and discussions on relevant fatherhood issues, which stress the importance of the father in the life and development of children. The YDI Early/Head Start Male Valued Partnership (MVP) Program is designed to teach parenting skills to all males who help raise children. There is a special emphasis on attracting male participants and involving them in the learning process.
The skills learned at MVP strengthen the family and the home environment. The program focuses on teaching leadership, teamwork, parenting and role model skills. It provides opportunities to learn about many parenting challenges, such as the complications of being a single parent, positive discipline, communication, child-rearing and the roles and responsibilities of all fathers whether they live in the family home or not. The fatherhood initiative explores the numerous challenges fathers face in blended families as well as maintaining relationships with their children while separated or divorced. Men learn skills which make it easier for them to interact with their children in a nurturing manner and feel comfortable taking a greater responsibility in child rearing.
Presbyterian
Medical Services
(PMS) Head Start/Early Head Start
1422 Paseo do Peralta
Building 3
Santa Fe, NM 87501
Phone: 505-982-5565
Presbyterian Medical Services (PMS) Head Start/Early Head Start is committed to involving fathers in a child's life. The program has made an effort in each of the four counties where they provide Head Start/Early Head Start services not only to engage the fathers but also other significant males in the child's life. The belief is that male involvement must not be restricted to the traditional idea that only a child's father can make an impact on their life. PMS has involved the Policy Council in the Fatherhood Initiative and about 30% of the policy council membership comes from fathers in the program. The last three years the Policy Council has been chaired by a father. Fathers, grandfathers, uncles, older male siblings and even neighbors in some cases have participated in some of the male involvement activities:
Child Support Enforcement Division (CSED)
Oklahoma Department of Human Services
Child Support Division Director: Gary Dart
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
(405) 522-2273
Fatherhood Partnership. The partnership between the CSED and the Maternal and Child Health Service, State Health Department has continued to promote public awareness on Fatherhood issues and to educate teens on parental responsibility (Dads Make a Difference Program). Numerous pairs of teen peer educators and adult advisors have been certified. Millwood School District has provided the program to 150 middle school students. Two other school districts taught the Dads Make a Difference Program during the 2002-2003 school years. Dads Make a Difference is endorsed by the Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement.
The Child Support Enforcement Division has partnered with Oklahoma Head Start centers, day care centers, hospitals, libraries, primary schools and other organizations to promote the benefits of establishing paternity, the importance of fathers in the lives of their children, and providing presentations and child support resource information.
Oklahoma Fatherhood and Marriage Initiatives Compliment Each Other. The Oklahoma State Head Start Collaboration Officer recently provided information on how the state's local programs are busy undertaking fatherhood activities and complementing the Marriage Initiative effort. Activities range from having a day for dads to come to school with the children for a portion of the day to providing training in fatherhood issues as part of parent training. Meanwhile, the Oklahoma Association of Community Action Agencies has offered training sessions on fatherhood, one of which included a two-part training session offered on the Marriage Initiative. All of these training opportunities for Head Start are being offered as a result of requests from the Oklahoma Head Start Association and the CAA Executive Directors.
Additionally, a number of Head Start and CAA staff have been trained by the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative as "train the trainers". In turn, the Oklahoma Head Start Association now has a representative on the committee that coordinates state activities of the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative, which includes the state-level fatherhood initiative activities.
In July 2003, the first-ever Oklahoma Fatherhood Summit took place in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma sponsored by COPE, Inc., the National Fatherhood Initiative and the Department of Human Services. Approximately 150 individuals attended. Leon R. McCowan, Regional Administrator, Administration for Children and Families, rendered the luncheon address focusing on the Federal Fatherhood Initiative, the importance of children and families, and the importance of marriage. The ACF Region VI office showcased a colorful display focusing on fathers and children.
Head
Start.
Delta Community Action Head Start
2800 NW 36th, Suite 221
Oklahoma City, OK 73112
Phone: 405-949-1495
Delta Head Start believes very strongly in the positive influences of male role models in the growth and development of preschool students. They are striving to increase positive male role model participation in their Head Start program by providing opportunities for fathers/significant males to interact with their children. In the two years preceding the current program year, the number of children whose father/significant-male-role-model participated in specific fatherhood activities increased 156%. During this same time, the number of fathers serving in leadership roles on parent committees and Policy Council also increased by 36%.
Future Planned Fatherhood Activities include:
Head Start
Little Dixie Community Action Agency Head Start
502 West Duke
Hugo, OK 74743
Phone: 508-326-2305
The Little Dixie Head Start M. I. A. (Men In Action) Fatherhood Initiative program enjoyed many successes during the 2004-2005 school year. The Ready to Read program is a literacy based initiative that involves father figures and positive men from the community to come into the centers and read to the children. Ready to Read began on November 1, 2004 and ran throughout the end of the school year in May, 2005. During this time period Ready to Read averaged 35 readers per month which totaled 245 in-center visits from male participants who read to our children. The second activity which we found to be a great success was the monthly Dad's Day. Dad's Day was held in each center the first Friday of every month and involved a learning activity in which the father figures could participate with the children. Dad's Day began the first Friday in January, 2005 and went through May, 2005. During this time period Dad's Day had an average participation of 106 men per month and an average total participation (which includes female participants) of 153 people per month. The month of April had the best turn out with 145 father figures and a total participation (which includes female participants) of 203 people! The Ready to Read and Dad's Day activities will continue throughout the 2005-2006 school year with the addition of an introductory `Meat and Greet' activity that will welcome Head Start father figures into the M. I. A. Fatherhood Initiative program as well as a curriculum based peer support group for Head Start father figures.
Division for Children and Families — Office of Family Initiatives
Texas Office of the Attorney General (OAG)
CSE Fatherhood Contact: Michael Hayes
Phone: 512-460-6218
P.O. Box 12548
Austin, Texas 78701
Section 1115 Demonstration Grant — "Building Strong and Healthy Families in Texas"
The Texas OAG/CSD was approved for a Healthy Marriage Waiver Project under the Section 1115 waiver authority of the Social Security Act on March 14, 2005. The project was not implemented until October 14, 1006. The project will involve several stakeholders including private sector organizations and community based organizations. The project is to operate in Houston/Harris County and in San Angelo/Tom Green County. The project is approved for $998,184 in Federal funding with additional funding to come from the private sector. The project is funded for a two year period.
Section 1115 Demonstration Grant — “Ensuring Access — Encouraging Support”
This is a 29-month demonstration and evaluation project to test strategies to increase child support collections from non-custodial parents when lack of child access and regular visitation is a key complaint and barrier to payment of support. The project will be conducted in Harris County. Non-custodial parents will be provided a wide range of visitation enforcement services and parent education services as part of this demonstration project.
FOCUS – Fathers Offering Children Unfailing Support
FOCUS is currently being offered in Tarrant County as part of the OAG’s Access and Visitation grant program in conjunction with the Tarrant County Domestic Relations Office (DRO) OAG Community Supervision Contract. FOCUS is a 10-week educational, skills building class designed to help fathers improve the emotional connection they have with their children. Payment rates for FOCUS participants are higher than those for NCPs in the regular community supervision program. This project would replicate the FOCUS program model as a supplement to current OAG Community Supervision and Monitoring projects. Implementing FOCUS as a supplement to current community supervision contracts provides a critical service that emphasizes the importance of being a father creating the foundation for long-term financial and emotional support from formerly non-compliant obligors.
Non-Custodial Parent “Choices” project
The Office of the Attorney General and the Texas Workforce Commission are implementing a five-site demonstration project linking IV-D courts, OAG child support, and local workforce development boards to implement a model employment project for unemployed non-custodial parents whose child is either currently receiving public assistance or has previously received public assistance. TWC has dedicated TANF employment funds to provide dedicated services for NCPs identified by OAG staff for participation in this project.
Shared Parenting Pilot Project
The Shared Parenting Pilot is a model access and visitation project designed to link co-parenting education and collaborative negotiation/mediation services for developing cooperative parenting plans with couples using the OAG Child Support Review Process to established new child support orders. The pilot is being conducted in two local child support units in Harris and Dallas counties. One of the goals of this project is to evaluate the impact these services have on non-custodial parent involvement and the reduction of conflict in the co-parenting relationship.
Section 1115 Demonstration Grant – Strong Start – Stable Families
This 36 month demonstration project (Strong Start—Stable Families (SSSF), involves providing a menu of family stabilization services and referrals to both expectant and newly delivering mothers and fathers in conjunction with regular prenatal and postpartum clinic visits and services. The interventions will include: education on paternity establishment, child support, and preparation for parenting; and services and referrals on healthy/stable relationships, marriage preparation and healthy marriage skills, child health and well-being, family economic security, team-parenting, and non-adversarial child support services. The pilot project is being conducted with Baylor College of Medicine Teen Health Clinics in Harris County.
Maps for New Dads
Maps for New Dads is a prenatal handbook for men that is full of helpful information for the “dad-to-be”. It is designed for distribution through WIC, Early Head-Start, pre-natal clinics, hospitals, and other community and faith-based organizations and is printed in both English and Spanish. The handbook is free and is available for order through the OAG’s website.
Incarcerated Parent Handbook and Video
The OAG has produced this specialized handbook and video for non-custodial parents in Texas prisons and jails. Both of these educational items are designed to help offenders understand how to deal with child support and paternity issues that may be pending or arise while they are incarcerated. The brochure and video are free and are available for order though the OAG’s website.
Fatherhood Involvement posters
The
OAG and the Texas Department
of State Health
Services collaborated in the design and development of three fatherhood
posters
that promote the value of involved, caring dads.
The posters feature an Anglo dad on one, and
African American dad on one, and a Latino dad on one
- all three are printed English on one side,
Spanish on the other. The
posters are
free and are available for order through the OAG’s website.
Steven
Durand, Executive
Director
Central
Texas Fatherhood Initiative
900
Austin Ave., Suite 304
Waco,
TX 76701
Phone:
254.235.9666 or 866.260.DADS
Fax:
254.235.9667
Email:
steve@centraltexasfatherhood.org
Web:
www.centraltexasfatherhood.org
The Central Texas Fatherhood Initiative (CTFI) is a grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to motivating, supporting, and training fathers to take a more active role in their children’s lives. The organization conducts parenting classes, training workshops, and fatherhood support groups at local community centers, schools, healthcare facilities, and halfway houses; hosts numerous father-child events and activities; and provides technical assistance to agencies that work with fathers and families.
Center for Successful Fathering, Inc.
Ron L. Klinger, Ph.D., Founder/CEO
13740 Research Boulevard, Suite L-2
Austin, TX 78750
(512) 335.8106
800.537.0853
Email: info@fathering.org
website: www.fathering.org
The Center for Successful Fathering was founded in 1995 by Dr. Ron Klinger as a response to the growing number of children who were growing up without a father in their lives. Children need a balance of mothers and fathers in their lives. In 1960, over 80% of our nation’s children went to sleep in a home where both the biological mother and father were present. Today that number has dropped to less than 25%.
Strong
Fathers-Strong
Families
J. Michael Hall, M.Ed.
Executive Director
P.O. Box 136188
Fort Worth, Texas 76136
(817) 301-4086
mikehall @ strongfathers.com
www.strongfathers.com
Strong Fathers-Strong Families is a training, technical assistance, and facilitation organization that is focused on strengthening children by strengthening fathers and families. Through staff training, consultation, and event facilitation, Strong Fathers-Strong Families works with Head Starts, Public Schools, and Churches as well as other organizations. Our goal is to improve the educational environment in order that men may become more involved in the lives of their children. Strong Fathers-Strong Families plans and facilitates events at the campus, organizational, and community level to bring men together with their children in the presence of other men to discover their true strength as fathers. Strong Fathers-Strong Families facilitates events such as Bring Your Dad to Head Start Days, Bring Your Dad to School Day, Saturday Workshops for schools, churches, and communities, Dad & Kid Reading Night/Day, Head Start Father Forums, Head Start Dad and Kid Reading Days, staff awareness trainings, and Father Involvement Staff Training.
Tarrant
County Fatherhood Coalition
(a.k.a.
Tarrant County Fatherhood Initiative)
Mervil
Johnson,
Vice-Chair
Workforce
Collaboration Manager
Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County
2601 Scott Ave., Suite 400
Fort Worth, Texas 76103
Office: 817.413.4438
Mission Statement: A collaboration to strengthen the role of fathers, men and families in the lives of children in Tarrant County.
The Tarrant County Fatherhood Coalition holds meetings and special events focusing on young dads and all fathers. In the past year, their meetings have included training on the PAPA curriculum developed by the Office of the Attorney General's Child Support Division, and Male Involvement/Male Health issues, job training and job referrals. Annually, they hold a community-wide, collaborative effort to raise awareness about the importance of father's involvement in the lives of children. The event, "Celebrate Fatherhood," is held in June to celebrate responsible fatherhood in Tarrant County. Several committees work together for this event to take place.
Head
Start
Region 19 Educational Services Center Head Start/Early Head
Start
6611 Boeing Drive
El Paso, TX 79925
(915) 780-1919
Region 19 Educational Services Center administers Head Start and Early Head Start in 35 urban and rural communities along the portion of the Rio Grande that separates Texas from Chihuahua, Mexico. There are approximately 211,000 households in the counties served, and Spanish is spoken in 73% of them. More than 95% of the families participating are Hispanic or Latino, and more than half use Spanish as their primary language. Most employees-65%-are the parents of formerly enrolled children.
At four sites, staff develop activities for fathers and reach out to them in settings that are comfortable to them. Support groups cover manhood, values, communication, nutrition, self-exploration, and cultural forces affecting men's behavior and roles. The group format promotes sharing information and feelings. Materials and instructions for home projects, including literacy activities, are distributed monthly to encourage men's connections with their families at home. A monthly fathers' night out allows dads to become comfortable interacting with their children without their mothers present. A Male of the Month award is given at each of the four sites.
The Fatherhood Initiative has had many positive effects. It has enabled the largely female staff to gain experience working as partners with fathers. Fathers have become regular volunteers in classrooms and accompany children on field trips. Fathers who have participated in the initiative are taking leadership roles in the community as well as in the children's programs. The younger generation of men in the community have more positive attitudes toward children and fatherhood, which has changed the focus of the initiative over time.
Head
Start
Neighborhood Centers Inc. Early Head Start/Head Start
Houston, TX 77277-1389
Phone: (713) 667-9400
Neighborhood Centers Inc. Early Head Start/Head Start first initiated a formal 'Fatherhood' program in February of 2004. Small group trainings utilizing resources and materials from the NCPL 'Fatherhood Development Curriculum' were offered at selected Head Start sites for fathers and other interested males. The group members created an action plan to improve the program for the next school year. Of the nine suggestions or strategies stated in the original action plan, four have already been successfully implemented or are in the process of implementation. Among the ideas originally put forward by the group were: create a section of the monthly newsletter specifically to focus on dads and the fatherhood program; organize at least one group activity per month; and implement the 'Fathers Reading Every Day (FRED), program-wide.
Building on the ideas and energy created by this core group of parents and staff members representing diverse areas of the program, education, family-community partnerships and operations came together to form a 'Father/Significant Male Involvement Committee'. The group sought community input in its efforts to re-name and re-energize the program with the result being the S.M.I.L.E. program — Significant Males Impacting Lives Everyday.
The S.M.I.L.E. Mission Statement
"To provide education and training to fathers and other male role models in order to enhance the relationships with their children and families. The program will support fathers as educators and advocates for their children through positive parenting to encourage parent-child bonding."
The S.M.I.L.E. Vision Statement
"Create awareness that fathers and other male role models make a unique and invaluable contribution to the well being of children and their interaction with their children promotes healthy physical, emotional, intellectual, social, and spiritual development."
Last Revised: June 9, 2006
 |