Introduction to the Male and Father-Involvement
Initiative
Introduction
Project Description
Responding to the
Need for Male Involvement in Children's and Families' Lives
The idea that parent involvement in children's lives is an
exclusively female domain is a misperception that hurts thousands
of American children and haunts educational and social efforts
to help them. The idea that all fathers of children from low-income
and high-risk backgrounds absent themselves from child rearing
is false.
A recent study of a pre-kindergarten program for at-risk
children found that a majority of mothers surveyed reported
their children had regular and consistent interaction with
their father or another male role figure despite the high
proportion of single-parent families being served by the program.
And a nationwide survey of Head Start programs serving low-income
families, found that a man was present (whether the father,
mother's boyfriend, male relative, or friend) in approximately
60 percent of Head Start families. A similar national survey
concluded that the majority of parents and staff members felt
an emphasis should be placed on involving Head Start fathers
in the program.
The myths and stereotypes surrounding men in low-income households
have had a significantly negative impact on policies relating
to programs that benefit disadvantaged families. Generally
these policies identify "parents" (that is to say,
the adults who assume primary responsibility for the child's
physical and emotional wellbeing outside the classroom) as
targets for their outreach initiatives. Yet program implementation
typically discourages the participation of men in parent-involvement
activities. Initiatives designed to encourage male involvement
in pre-kindergarten programs for children at risk for later
school failure are few and far between. There is a failure
to build upon the strengths that men can bring to the parenting
situation-strengths that can be utilized in the development
of effective home-school partnerships. It is not surprising
that when men become actively involved in their children's
lives, they can positively impact many aspects of children's
development.
Research reveals four factors that impede Head Start and
state-funded pre-kindergarten programs from achieving father
involvement. They include:
(1) fathers' fears of exposing inadequacies,
(2) ambivalence of program staff members about father involvement,
(3) gatekeeping by mothers, and
(4) inappropriate program design and delivery[1].
NHSA's Male and Father-Involvement Initiative is showing
Head Start programs ways to drawing men and fathers back into
the lives of children and families.
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[1] Levine, J.A. (1993). Involving Fathers
in Head Start: A Framework for Public Policy and Program Development.
Families in Society, 74(1): 4-19 as cited in Father/Male Involvement
in Early Childhood Programs. ERIC Digest. October,
1996.
ERIC Digests are in the public domain and may be freely
reproduced and disseminated. Most documents are available
in ERIC microfiche collections at more than 900 locations
worldwide, and can be ordered through EDRS: (800) 443-ERIC.
Journal articles are available from the original journal,
interlibrary loan services, or article reproduction clearinghouses,
such as: UMI (800) 732-0616, or ISI (800) 523-1850. For more
information, visit http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/index/
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