Transcript What About the Dads?

What About the Dads?
Engaging Fathers in Early
Childhood Education
With Thanks to our Sponsor
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT)
“Partnership for Families”
 Identify the paradigm shift on involving fathers in
childcare.
 Understand the scope and negative effects of
father absence.
 Explore the benefits of father involvement in child
development.
 Consider opportunities to involve fathers.
Why is all the attention on mothers?
Fathers are important too.
Traditionally, child-focused
programs were designed to
provide services addressing the
needs of the mother-child dyad.
These programs were often
designed, structured, and staffed
primarily by women. We now
need to focus on providing
supports to better involve fathers
in the lives of their children.
“Responsible, engaged fathers are critical to the
financial, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual wellbeing of children, and, therefore to the strength and
health of American families and communities.”
— President Barack Obama, Speech delivered Father’s Day 2008
Engaging fathers is a dynamic, ongoing process.
Effective father engagement requires consistent
and long-term commitment on the part of each
one of us
Engaging Fathers in Early Childhood Education
Many cultures discourage men from taking an active
role in caring for their young children.
We need to value the active contributions a father
brings in caring for the child.
Review of current research / key insights and data on
the role that fathers play in the well-being of their
children. This information is meant to better equip
you to support fathers and reduce the ill effects of
father absence in our community.
Fathers and Their Impact on Children’s
Well-Being
Involved fathers bring positive benefits to their children that no
other person is as likely to bring. Fathers have a direct impact on
the well-being of their children. It is important to have a working
understanding of the literature that addresses this impact.
-U.S. Children’s Bureau
The Father’s Role in Early Child Development
Two important reports on research were put forth during
the 1980’s. Both volumes report the findings of carefully
constructed and thoughtfully interpreted research studies
of men in relationship to their young children.
• The Role of the Father in Child Development (Warner
Books, New York, 1981)
• The Nurturing Father (Warner Books, New York, 1987)
Fathers and Mothers Nurture in Different Ways
The reports noted consistent findings in the research:
• Men tend to be more physical and reciprocal in play. Men tend to structure
play and interaction around a task, game, or project.
• Women tend to use more verbal interaction and direction in their play.
Women tend to structure play and interaction around an idea or makebelieve situation.
• The differences have beneficial effects: affords variety in interactive
experience and fosters a capacity to attach to each parent as a separate
individual with distinct relational styles.
Fathers and Separation
The reports also speak to separation issues:
• Fathers function typically as the first safe “other” that infants seek.
• As early childhood progresses and the world expands fathers tend to be more
encouraging of exploration, tolerant of frustration and encouraging of trying
new things than the mothers.
• As the child emerges as an individual the different interactive styles of both
parents remain important to this process. Each parent provides a unique
contribution.
Impact of the Involved Father on the Mother
and Family:
 Overall positive outcomes for
children’s well-being
 Additional support from father
& paternal family
 Increase in mother’s patience,
flexibility and emotional
responsiveness toward child
--U.S. Children’s Bureau
Premature infants whose fathers spent more time
playing with them had better cognitive outcomes
at age three.
Yogman MW, Kindlon D, & Earls FJ, (1994). Father involvement and cognitive behavioral outcomes of
premature infants. Journal of the American Academy Child and Adolescent Psychology, 34: 58-66.
LONGSCAN Study
LONGSCAN is the acronym for the Longitudinal Studies of
Child Abuse and Neglect, started in 1989, with pediatrics,
social work, psychology and public health represented
among the investigators. Outcomes at young ages were
assessed by parent report and observation of the children,
while increasing child self-report and teacher reports as
children aged. The dataset is housed at the National Data
Archives on Child Abuse and Neglect. This study continues
to follow the participants now young adults, into their 20s.
LONGSCAN Findings : Fathers Matter
Father presence is associated with a number of improved
outcomes, including better cognitive development and children’s
perceived competence
• The presence of a live-in boyfriend increases the risk for
maltreatment, relative to the presence of a biological father or no
father
• Some fathers may feel intimidated or inadequate as providers of
child care
• Children who report more support from fathers were less
depressed, more socially competent, and more socially accepted
• Neglect is more likely when fathers feel less effective in parenting
LONGSCAN Implications:
•
Remove barriers to fathers’ involvement with their children
• Help fathers feel competent in parenting
• Convey to fathers and father figures how their children can
benefit from their involvement
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All systems serving children (i.e., child welfare, health care,
education) should strive to include fathers
LONGSCAN and LONGSCAN: From Science to Practice: http://www.iprc.unc.edu/longscan/pages/DDCF/
At six months old, children whose fathers had been actively
involved from birth scored higher on a test of mental and
motor development than children whose fathers were not
involved during the first eight weeks. They also managed stress
better during their school years.
Pfiffner LJ, McBurnett K, and Rathouz PJ, (2001). Father absence and familial antisocial characteristics.
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 29(5): 357-367.
 In a study of third and fourth graders, a father’s
provision of warmth and control was positively
related to higher academic achievement.
 Greater father involvement also reduces the
likelihood that children in 6th through 12th grade
have ever been suspended or expelled from school.
Coley RL, (1998). Children’s socialization experiences and functioning in single-mother households: The
importance of fathers and other men. Child Development, 69: 219-230.
A father’s influence extends beyond the child’s
developmental stage. Adolescents between the ages
of 14-19 have higher self-esteem and less depression
when they have greater intimacy with their fathers.
Field T, et al. (1995). Adolescents’ intimacy with parents and friends. Adolescence, 30(117): 133-140.
Fathers influence positive academic results
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Higher school performance
Higher SAT scores
38% higher grades
Greater ambition
Participation in extracurricular activities
Higher college enrollment rates (daughters specifically)
U.S. Dept. of Education, National Center for Educational Statistics. Father Involvement for Healthy Child Outcomes:
Partners Supporting Knowledge Development and Transfer, March 1, 2007.
A father influences his children in many ways :
 Emotional well being
 Increased financial stability
 Behavior
 Expanded cultural ties and ethnic heritage
 Occupational choices
 How the child will parent his own children
FATHER FACTS, 6TH EDITION • © 2011 National Fatherhood Initiative
Father Absence
One out of every three children in the U.S. lives apart from their
father.
-U.S. Census Bureau 2010
The non-resident father:
17% visit their fathers at least once a week
 50% have seen their father in the last year but less than
weekly
 33% have not seen their father in the past year
-Fagan J, Laughlin L, & Farrie D, (2009). Involvement with children following marital and nonmarital separations. Fathering, 7: 226-248.
Changing Family Dynamics in the US
According to recent U.S. Census data, the
percentage of unmarried women having children
has steadily climbed since the 1940s and
skyrocketed in recent years.
2012: Thirty-six percent of U.S. women who had
given birth were unmarried
Up from 2005: Thirty per-cent
Effects on Mothers
Pregnant mothers without the child’s father in the
home are:
 70% less likely to obtain prenatal care
 More likely to experience depression
 Less likely to breastfeed
Albrecht C, & Teachman JD, (2003). Childhood living arrangements and risk of premarital Intercourse. Journal
of Family Issues, 24: 867-894.
The Impact of Father Absence
on Children’s Well-Being / Social Behavior
Children whose biological fathers are absent are 2-3
times more likely:
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to be poor
to use drugs
to experience educational problems
to have health problems
to have emotional problems
to have behavioral problems
to be victims of child abuse
to engage in more criminal behavior
…than their peers who live with their married
biological parents (or adoptive parents).
Horn W, & Sylvester T, (2002). Father facts (4th ed). Gaithersburg, MD: National Fatherhood Initiative.
Youth in father-absent households have significantly
higher odds of incarceration than those in homes with
both a mom and a dad.
Harper CC, & McLanahan SS, (2004). Father absence and youth incarceration. Journal of Research on Adolescence,
14: 369-397.
Children with involved, loving fathers
are significantly more likely to:
• do well in school
• have healthy self esteem
• exhibit empathy and pro-social
behavior
• avoid high risk behaviors such as drug
use
• avoid truancy
• avoid being involved in criminal
activity
…compared to children who have
uninvolved fathers.
--Horn W, & Sylvester T, (2002). Father facts (4th ed.). Gaithersburg, MD: National Fatherhood Initiative.
When fathers are not involved:
 Children are 2 times more likely to drop out of
school
 Students are 2 times more likely to repeat a
grade in school
http://www.fatherhood.org/media/consequences-of-father-absence-statistics
The Impact of Fathers on Cognitive Ability and
Educational Achievement
“A number of studies suggest that
fathers who are involved,
nurturing and playful with their
infants have children with
higher IQs, as well as better
linguistic and cognitive
capacities.”
Rosenberg J, (2006). Fathers and their impact on children’s well-being. Child Welfare Information Gateway.
Societal Factors That Influence the
Development of Manhood & Fatherhood
 Expression of emotions is
discouraged
 Anger is an acceptable male
emotion
 Drive to be dominant
 Being physically strong
 Pressure to be an economic
success
Shears J, & Furman R, (2008) Working with fathers: A review of the literature. University of North CarolinaCharlotte.
Barriers to Men Seeking Help
 Admitting there is a problem
 Difficulty in asking for help and
depending on others
 Being perceived as “weak”
 Fear of intimacy &
vulnerability
Shears J, & Furman R, (2008). Working with fathers: A review of the literature. Charlotte: University of North
Carolina.
Barriers to father engagement include:
 Strong Maternal/Child model of care
 Assumption that fathers should know they are included
 Primarily female-run programs
 Staff fear or biases around engaging fathers
 Lack of male social service providers
 Intake process that requires limited information on
fathers
In today’s culture of social media and high-speed internet, the
messages reaching young men are often uncensored and
inappropriate. TV dads are often portrayed as immature and
less-than-intelligent followers who are rarely looked to for
advice or guidance. Unfortunately, many young men may lack
the appropriate role models. The underlying message from the
media is that dads are not very important or necessary which is
completely contradicted by research studies documenting the
critical role fathers play in helping children grow and develop.
“In many ways, I came to understand the importance
of fatherhood through its absence — both in my life
and in the lives of others. I came to understand that
the hole a man leaves when he abandons his
responsibility to his children is one that no
government can fill. We can do everything possible to
provide good jobs and good schools and safe streets
for our kids, but it will never be enough to fully make
up the difference. That is why we need fathers to step
up, to realize that their job does not end at
conception; that what makes you a man is not the
ability to have a child but the courage to raise one.”
— President Obama on the 100th anniversary of Father’s Day, June 21, 2009
A Father In His Own Words
Part 2: What We Have Learned in Working with
Fathers
Strategies to Encourage Fathers’ Help-Seeking Behaviors:
 Normalize their experience, ask him to tell you his story
 Minimize reflection on his affect & emotions
 Provide direct feedback and action-oriented steps, concrete
action that will reach his goal
 Use metaphors to make problems concrete and relatable
(sports metaphors, building metaphors)
 Use approaches that focus on logic and behavior
Shears J, & Furman R, (2008). Working with fathers: A review of the literature. Charlotte: University of North
Carolina.
What we have learned
in four years of working with fathers:
 Assume the non-resident father wants to be
involved
 Restore the non-resident father in the child's life
at what level he can be
 Each father is unique, find his strengths
 Suspend judgments
Make Room for His Anger
Men learn in our culture that a man is allowed to
show he cares through his expressions of anger.
Allow for this expression, acknowledge it then
help him focus on how he is essential to the
development of his child.
What has been effective to engage nonresident fathers:
 Seek first to understand
 Recognize and acknowledge his
previous experience with support
systems
 Help him understand his role in the life
of his child and how important it is.
 Acknowledge the power in your
position along with empowering the
father
 Ask the father, “How would you like your
child to remember you 10 to 15 years from
now?”
 Remind the father that he is a role model for
his child (he may not have had that)
…breaking the chain of fatherlessness
Common Challenges to Non-Resident Father
Engagement
 Expressions of anger
 Co-parenting and parental conflict
with the mother
 Multiple issues: unemployment,
housing, court involvement,
substance abuse, mental health,
domestic violence
Important things to consider in moving
forward:
 How do we help a father understand that he is important to
the well being of his child?
 What strategies do we use to develop a working relationship
with a father?
 Explaining the process and expectation for a father and what
his role is.
 How do we empower fathers by our own actions?
Including Fathers
Mothers and women have demonstrated
exceptional skill preparing generations of children
for success in school and life. They deserve our
admiration and respect. But, if given the chance,
fathers too can play an equally important role in
the lives of young children.
The more complex an issue, the more time and
information may be needed to move to the next stage.
-Father Friendly Check-Up Tool
There are many ways for your organization to engage
fathers in programming.
Engaging fathers begins with a holistic approach to
becoming father-friendly. Father inclusion should be a
priority for the entire organization’s agenda and be
stressed in leadership development, program
development and community engagement.
Father Friendly Environment
A first step is to make childcare centers more
welcoming to men. Simple things, such as displaying
photographs of fathers, father-figures, and men
interacting with children, can be easily done and at
little cost, with immediate, positive effect.
“The primary task of every civilization is to teach
the young men to be fathers.”
-Margaret Mead
Nancy Ashley
Project Manager, Child Welfare-Early Learning Partnership
Children’s Home Society of Washington
Office: 206-695-3214, Cell: 206-604-7455
[email protected]
Sheeyay Duncan
[email protected]
Lake County Tribal Health, Lake County, California
Janet Huggins
Project Manager, Partnership for Families
UW Fetal Alcohol and Drug Unit/Washington State Parent Child Assistance Program
(206) 543-7155
[email protected]
Jonah Idczak
Father Engagement Specialist, Children’s Administration, Washington State
(206) 639-6212
[email protected]
Father Engagement Specialist, Children’s Administration
Shayne Rochester
Snohomish County Parent Advocacy Committee Member
Fatherhood Engagement Facilitator
‘Life During CPS’ Facilitator
‘Parent for Parent’ Parent Mentor
Family Case Manager, Partnership for Families (Evergreen Manor-Seattle)
(425) 622-6928
[email protected] or [email protected]
Shrounda Selivanoff
King County Parent Advocate Committee Member
Family Case Manager, Partnership for Families (Evergreen Manor-Seattle)
(206) 909-0104
[email protected]
Websites Related to Engaging Fathers
Washington State Children’s Services Fathers Matter Web Page
www.dshs.wa.gov/ca/about/fm_cps.asp
‘Including Fathers’ Video
http://uwtv.org/watch/16219667/
National Fatherhood Initiative
www.fatherhood.org
National Responsible Fathers Clearinghouse
www.fatherhood.gov
US DHHS Administration for Children & Families Fatherhood Resources
http://www.childwelfare.gov/preventing/promoting/fatherhood.cfm
Group Discussions
In your agency…
What are the barriers to working with Fathers? For
example, personal barriers? Institutional barriers?
Other?
What are action steps you can take to overcome
these barriers— in the next month? Over the next
year? Over the next 5 years?