Fatherhood Involvement
OWCAP Head Start is committed to improving the lives and futures of childen. As part of that effort, we have created a fatherhood involvement program to improve the quality and quantity of time fathers and male role models spend with the children in their lives. It is our hope that through this program, fathers will realize the importance of their role and improve their ability to be a responsible male role model/caregiver.
Who Should Participate in the Program?
We are looking for all fathers/male caregivers of the children in our program to be part of this. This includes Grandfathers, Uncles, Cousins, or any male who has, or would like to have a positive influence on a child in Head Start.
Why a Fatherhood Involvement Program?
There are some who say that fathers are not important in the lives of children. Some suppose there is no negative impact on children who do not have a responsible fathe in their lives. Research focused on this issue says otherwise. The HHS Fact Sheet, displayed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services shares with us the findings of this research in an article titled "Promoting Responsible Fatherhood." It states:
Over the last four decades, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of children growing up in homes without fathers. In 1960, fewer than 10 million children did not live with their fathers. Today the number is nearly 25 million. More than one-third of these children will not see their fathers at all during the course of a year. Studies show that children who grow up without responsible fathers are significantly more likely to experience poverty, perform poorly in school, engage in criminal activity, and abuse drugs and alcohol.
http://fatherhood.hhs.gov/fact20010607.htm
Goals and objectives of the Program?
Our overall goal is to increase responsible fatherhood and positive male role modeling. As our program progesses we will expand on particular goals and objectives we would like to accomplish.