Father
to Father
UNITING
FATHERS FOR THEIR CHILDREN, MOBILIZING COMMUNITIES FOR FATHERS
& THEIR FAMILIES
Father
to Father is a national effort to unite men in the task of being
a strong and positive force in their children's lives. With assistance
from central resource teams, local communities or agencies that
choose to participate in Father to Father will develop their own
plan to:
- expand
and enhance existing father support programs
- create
new opportunities for men to come together one to one or in
groups to support each other in their role as fathers
- rally
businesses, congregations, schools and agencies to focus on
the importance of fathers in children's lives.
Father
to Father is a response to Vice President Al Gore's call to action,
issued at "Family Reunion III: The Role of Men in Children's
Lives," Nashville, Tennessee, July 11, 1994:
"Beginning here today, I am asking you to join me in launching
a nationwide Father to Father movement. There are new, young fathers
struggling with every facet of their role, from changing diapers
to finding the job that can support their sons and daughters.
There are mature, experienced fathers who would love to volunteer
to help them. Lets bring them together."
Board
of Directors
Honorary
Chair:
Vice President Al Gore |
|
Co-Chair:
Martha Farrell Erickson, Ph.D.
Children, Youth & Family Consortium
University of Minnesota |
|
CO-Chair:
Jim Levine, Ed.D.
The Fatherhood Project
Families and Work Institute |
|
| |
|
Eric
Brenner
Johnson, Bassin & Shaw, Inc. |
Richard
Louv
Columnist
The San Diego Union-Tribune |
Ken
Canfield, Ph.D.
National Center for Fathering |
Anne
Peretz, MSW
The Family Center |
Barbara
Clinton, MSW
Center for Health Services
Vanderbilt University |
Ed
Pitt
The Male Involvement Project
Families and Work Institute |
Larry
Clinton
United States Telephone Association |
Kyle
Pruett, MD
Yale Child Study Center
Yale University |
Kenneth
Eakes
Mothers Against Violence in America |
Bill
Purcell
Institute of Child and Family Policy - VIPPS
Vanderbilt University |
Don
Eberly
National Fatherhood Initiative |
Juan
Sanchez
Texas Key Project |
Vivian
Gadsden, Ph.D.
National Center on Fathers & Families
University of Pennsylvania |
Sara
Sneed
Hartford Foundation for Public Giving |
Joseph
Jones
Baltimore City Healthy Start, Inc. |
Rick
Weissbourd, Ph.D.
John F. Kennedy School of Government
Harvard University |
We
are excited about your interest in working with us to meet the
Father to Father program goal as outlined by Vice President Gore
on June 13, 1995: "To help mobilize this country and strengthen
the future for millions of children and their fathers." A
first step that our organization and/or community can take to
join in the Father to Father effort is to order a Community Starter
Kit. This kit will provide you with suggested strategies to initiate
Father to Father programs and rally your community in support
of fathers; a listing of national service and training programs
that can assist you in meeting the needs of fathers; a simple
community planning guide; and an annotated list of selected books
and manuals that can guide you in your efforts.
To
receive a Community Starter Kit, you may download the pdf files
on-line or order a kit by contacting the National
Center for Fathering, the administrative home for Father to
Father
Best wishes as you reach out to dads in your community!
Children
Youth and Family Consortium Electronic Clearinghouse. Permission
is granted to create and distribute copies of this document for
noncommercial purposes provided that the author and CYFCEC receive
acknowledgment and this notice is included. Phone (612) 625-7849
EMAIL: cyfc@tc.umn.edu
Dads
are great storytellers and readers!
Storytime
is together time... take a break before dinner time, lazy afternoon
time, bedtime ... anytime is right for sharing a story or reading
a book. Visit your local public library to choose one of the books
on this list or ask the librarian to help you find something else
just right for your family.
Best,
Cari. Taxi! Taxi! 1994. Tina spends each Sunday with her
father, a taxi cab driver.
Brisson,
Pat. The Summer My Father was Ten. 1998. A father tells
his daughter the story of how he damaged a neighbor's tomato garden
when he was a boy, and what he did to make amends to old Mr. Bellavista.
Park-Bridges,
Margaret. If I were Your Father. Warm and humorous conversation
between a boy and his father. The boy offers his fantastic wisdom
of what a father might do.
Cazet,
Denys. Born in the Gravy. 1993. A young Chicana tells her
father all the things she did on her first day of Kindergarten.
Cook,
Jean Thor. Room for a Stepdaddy. 1995. Joey has
trouble accepting his new stepfather but the constant love of
his father, mother and stepfather finally convince him that there
is love enough to go around for everyone.
Coy,
John. Night Driving. 1996. As father and son drive into
the night, they watch the sunset, talk about baseball, sing cowboy
songs, and even change a flat tire before pitching camp at daybreak.
Daly,
Niki. Papa Lucky's Shadow. 1992. With his granddaughters
help, Papa Lucky takes his love of dancing onto the street and
makes some extra money.
Fowler,
Susi Gregg. I'll See You When the Moon is Full. 1994. Abe
will miss his father when he takes off on a business trip, but
is reassured of his return in two weeks when the crescent moon
is full.
Guettier,
Benedicte. The Father Who Had 10 Children. Loving story
of a dad caring for his 10 children and, even when he takes time
for himself he still misses his children, shortens his trip and
hurries back to them.
Hamm,
Diane Johnston. Rock-a-bye Farm. 1992. Celebrates the affection
and trust between a daddy and his "charges".
Hearn,
Diane Dawson. Dad's Dinosaur Day. Sometimes even Daddies
need a break!
Heo,
Yumi. Father's Rubber Shoes. 1995. Yungsu misses Korea
terribly until he begins to make friends in America.
Howard,
Elizabeth Fitzgerald. Papa Tells Chita a Story. 1995. A
young African American girl shares a special time with her father
as he tells her about when he was a soldier in Cuba during the
SpanishAmerican War.
Jennings,
Dana Andrew. Me, Dad and Number 6. 1997. A father, his
friends and his six year old son rebuild an old car together and
drive it in races.
Johnson,
Dolores. Your Dad was Just Like You. 1993. While visiting
his grandfather, an African American boy hears a story about his
father's childhood that helps him understand his father.
Maslac,
Evelyn. Finding a Job for Daddy. 1996. A young girl helps
her father look for a new job and lets him know he will always
have the important job of being her daddy.
McBratney,
Sam. Guess How Much I Love You. 1994. Baby Nutbrown hare
wants to show his Daddy (Big Nutbrown hare) how very much he loves
him-but love as big as this is very hard to measure!
McCormick,
Wendy. Daddy Will You Miss Me? 1999. When a daddy must
leave on a trip, a father and son help ease the pain of separation
by creating rituals for each passing day. These simple activities
help them remain close in their hearts while they are apart. Whether
you're across the globe or just across town, the love between
a father and child spans any distance.
Meyer,
Mercer. Just Me and My Dad. 1977. Lil' Critters camping
trip with his Dad shows his attempts to be bigger than his Dad,
with illustrations showing us different.
Milich,
Melissa. Can't Scare Me! 1995. Two African American friends
often share a special time in the evenings when ghost stories
can sometimes be frightening. But a little girl and a special
ghost story help Mr. Munroe stop being afraid.
Munsch,
Robert. Love You Forever. 1986. A little boy goes through
the stages of childhood and becomes a man. Through each stage
his mother sings to him: I'll love you forever, I'll like you
for always, As long as I'm living my baby you'll be. In the end
he must reverse the care and provide nurturing for his aging mother.
An incredible story of the enduring nature of a parents love,
and how it crosses generations.
Paradis,
Susan. My Daddy. 1998. The bond between a boy and his father
is profound. Exploring it from the point of view of a child, the
wealth of feelings evoked by every day events is depicted in simple
words, and deeply moving pictures.
Patrick,
Denise. The Car Washing Street. 1993. Even though his parents
do not own a car, Matthew looks forward to Saturday mornings when
all the people on his street wash their cars.
Porter-Gaylord,
Laurel. I Love My Daddy Because... 1991. Clever
text borrows simple phrases from a child's experience with her
Daddy to show that animal daddies take care of their young, too.
Smalls,
Irene. Kevin and His Dad. A young boy spends a whole day
with his Dad. This lovely picture book celebrates the excitement,
pride, love and pleasure a boy can experience with a father who
includes him in both work and play.
Spohn,
David. Home Field. 1993. Matt and his father play baseball
together early one Saturday morning on their own home farmyard
field.
Steptoe,
Javaka. In Daddy's Arms I am Tall:African Americans Celebrating
Fathers. 1997. A collection of poems celebrating African American
fathers by Angela, Johnson, E. Ethelbert Miller, Carole Boston
Weatherford, and others.
Wallace,
John. Little Bean. 1996. Little Bean's daddy is too busy
to play with her before his trip, but makes up for it when he
comes home.
Weir,
Catherine Daly. Daddy and Me. Actual photos of dads and
children involved in daily fun.
Wyeth,
Sharon. Dennis Always My Dad. 1995. Although she does not
get to see her father very often, an African American girl enjoys
the time she and her brothers spend with him one summer while
they are visiting their grandparents' farm.
Ziefert,
Harriet. Daddies are for Catching Fireflies. Inexpensive,
flip-flap book with delightful ways of daddies
Titles
selected by Phyllis Mattill, Children's Services Librarian, Hennepin
County Library, Minnetonka, Minnesota, under the auspices of the
Association for Library Service to Children, a Division of the'
American Library Association.
June, 1999.
