Barriers, Boundaries and Breakthroughs: Training Staff To Work With Fathers

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Barriers, Boundaries and Breakthroughs Training
Staff To Work With Fathers

• National Head Start Training Institute
• on Father Involvement
• Dallas, TX
• June 15-17, 2004
• Gregory Edwards, MDiv.
• Nancy Martin, BA
• Community Services for Children, Inc.
• Allentown, PA

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Participants will

• Learn how father involvement impacts child well
  being and outcomes.
• Identify the internal and external issues
  affecting fatherhood program development and
  implementation.
• Assess your Head Start agencys capacity to work
  with fathers.
• Discover Best Practices for building Head Start
  Fatherhood Programs.

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Different Kinds of Fathers

• Low-Income Fathers
• Ethnic and Minority Fathers
• Young Adult and Teen Fathers
• Expectant and New Fathers
• Married Fathers
• Divorced Fathers
• Non-Custodial Fathers
• Stepfathers

• Adoptive Fathers
• Fathers Giving Up Children for Adoption
• Foster Fathers
• Incarcerated Fathers
• Military Fathers
• Fathers of Special Needs Children
• Fathers with Limited Literacy Skills
• Older Fathers
• Stages of Fatherhood or Grandfatherhood

Ward CleaverBill CosbyOzzy Osbourne
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Significance of Father InvolvementHow and Why
Fathers Matter
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How Fathers Matter

• Early Child Development
• Fetal awareness research indicates that pre-born
  babies hear sounds outside of womb by sixth month
  of pregnancy. Low-pitch voices resonate more
  easily than high-pitch voices through amniotic
  fluid.
• Six-week-old infants can distinguish between
  fathers voice and mothers voice.
• Eight-week-old infants can anticipate differences
  in maternal and paternal handling styles.
• 12 months Infants with involved fathers
  experience diminished separation anxiety.
• Discipline
• Relationship vs. Reality
• When disciplining children, mothers tend to
  emphasize the emotional cost of misbehavior while
  fathers tend to emphasize the future implication
  of misbehavior.
• Discovery
• Regulation vs. Stimulation Exploration
• When playing with children, mothers tend to
  control play using more toy-moderated play while
  fathers play tends to be less regulated, more
  physical and more exploratory.
• William Sear, MD The Nurturing Father
• Kyle Pruett, MD Fatherneed

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Why Fathers Matter

• Behavioral
• Reduced contact with Juvenile Justice (72 of
  burglars, 80 of rapists)
• Delay in initial sexual activity, reduced teen
  pregnancy
• Reduced rate of divorce
• Less reliance on aggressive conflict resolution
• Educational
• Higher grade completion and income
• Math competence in girls
• Verbal strengths in boys and girls
• Emotional
• Greater problem-solving competence and stress
  tolerance
• Greater empathy, moral sensitivity, and reduced
  gender stereotyping

National Fatherhood Initiative Father Facts 4
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Father Involvement Defined
Male behavior beyond insemination that promotes
the well-being and healthy development of ones
child and family in active ways. Involved
fathers tend to

• Behave responsibly towards their children
• Be emotionally engaged and physically accessible
• Provide material support to sustain the childs
  needs
• Exert influence in child rearing decisions
• Kyle Pruett, MD - Fatherneed

ProtectProvidePrepare
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Paternal Nurturance

• Prolactin Protein synthesized in the
  pituitary gland, known for its role in
  stimulating lactation and breast growth during
  pregnancy in female primates is also
  present in male brain.
• Vasopressin Protein also found in the
  pituitary gland of males is
• biochemically
  related to the hormone oxytocin, the
• hormone that stimulates
  uterine contraction at the end of
• pregnancy
  and aids in the release of milk from the
  mammary gland in females.

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Barriers to Fathering and Father Involvement
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General Barriers

• Systemic father absenteeism
• Economics
• Misunderstanding of Legal Paternity Child
  Support System
• Cultural roles, norms
• Gate-keeping
• Relationship with childs mother
• Father exclusion in human and social service
  agencies, public policy and community culture
• CSC-EHS Fatherhood Demonstration Project

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Reported Female Parent Barriers

• Gate keepers / decision makers for fathers
• Belief that Head Start program is only for them
• Jealousy of father-only activities
• Negative feedback about males
• Past negative experiences with males
• Traditional male / female family roles

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Reported Staff Barriers

• Fear of males in the home environment
• Past negative experiences influence present
• Lack of understanding on benefits of paternity
  and father involvement
• Lack of experience in dealing with adult
  relationship issues (child development focused)
• CSC-EHS Fatherhood Demonstration Project
• 2001 Annual Staff Survey

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Examining Attitudes About Men and Fathers
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Attitudinal Case Studies Candidates for Father
with the Most Potential Award Candidate
1 Terry is a 24-year-old unemployed father. His
girlfriend Joyce just had their first child.
Terry was supportive of Joyce throughout her
pregnancy. Although he was looking for work, he
took time to go with Joyce on every doctor visit
and he regularly gave her back rubs. Terry and
Joyce also attended childbirth classes together
and he was in the delivery room when the baby was
born. Terry sees Joyce and the baby almost every
day, but he rarely has any money for Joyce. This
causes arguments from time to time. Joyce is
usually okay, but her mother hates Terry because
he doesnt work. Candidate 2 Kenny recently
dropped out of school to get a job to support his
newborn baby. He has a low-paying job at a
self-service gas station. Kenny maintains regular
contact with Shari, his childs mother, but she
often criticizes him for not spending more time
with her and the baby. Kenny gives Shari money
every month. Its not a lot but its regular. He
also provides some child care or arranges it with
his mother. Shari doesnt think that Kenny should
leave the baby with his mother so much. But Kenny
feels that his child should spend time with his
grandmother as well as his parents. Kenny loves
his child, but hes beginning to think that
things wont work out with Shari. Candidate
3 Ed is a 16-year-old high school junior. He is
a good athlete and is well-liked by his friends.
His girlfriend, Mercedes, just had their first
baby. Ed has kept his grades up and divides his
time between school and a part-time job. Ed
visits Mercedes and the baby as much as possible,
but he is often tired after going to school all
day and working at night and on weekends. So
really, he spends very little quality time with
them. Ed has encouraged Mercedes to get her high
school diploma. Ed plans to go to college next
year. He wants to work with computers. Ed
believes that their baby will have a better
future if he and Mercedes have good jobs and a
solid education. 
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Head Start Staff Survey on Father Involvement
7.)    A fathers relationship with the mother of
his child does not necessarily influence how his
child views him.     ___________True
False_________________________
 8.)    Fathers are not as concerned as mothers
about appropriate sex-role behavior for their
sons and daughters. __________True
False________________________ 9.)
Girls who are raised in homes without their
fathers presence are more likely to begin
sexual intercourse at early ages.  
___________True
False_________________________ 10.) Delinquent
teens are more likely to come from families where
the fathers is absent or neglectful?
___________True
False_________________________   11.)    Paying
child support on a monthly basis guarantees a
father regular visitation with his child(ren).
___________True
False_________________________   12.)    Check
those thoughts that apply to you  __________ I
do not feel father involvement in the program is
very important __________ I believe that Head
Start is best for mothers and children
__________ I often feel fearful in the presence
of Head Start fathers 13.) When surveyed,
the vast majority of Head Start fathers said
that they had been invited to attend
an event of some type at the program.
___________True
False_________________________
 1.)    Please indicate your position (Circle
one)   Family Partner/Home Visitor
Lead Teacher Assistant Teacher
Outreach/Enrollment Specialist
Bus Driver Bus Assistant
Other__________________________________
______________________
2.)    Do you think its important to include
fathers in the Head Start program?
Very important_________ Sort of
important________ Not that
important_______ 3.)    In general, the role of
fathers is equally significant to mothers in the
overall development of children?
 ___________True
False_________________________ 4.)    In general,
men lack the ability to nurture children?
 ___________True
False_________________________ 5.)    Children
seem to prefer their fathers as play partners?   
___________True
False_________________________  6.) Fathers
are better than mothers at disciplining their
children?   ___________True
False_________________________
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Head Start Annual Staff Survey on Father
Involvement
7.       In general, how often do you talk to
families about fatherhood activities?   Each week
_____ Once a week _____ Not at all
_____ 8.      In general, how often have you
talked with Head Start mothers about the role of
their babys father in development?   Once a week
_____ Once a month _____ Not at all _____ 9.
In general, do you feel you have an
understanding of the benefits of legal
paternity?   Yes, very well _____ Yes,
sort of _____ Not at all _____  10.
How often have you taught a family about
obtaining legal paternity?   Once a week _____
Once a month _____ Not at all
_____  11.      Do you feel you have adequate
resources/materials available to use with
fathers?   Yes _____ No _____ 12.
Which of the following practices do you use
regularly? ____ Automatically ask about the
father ____ Wait to see if mother mentions the
father ____ Try to schedule the visit so both
parents can be present ____ Involve fathers
needs in conversation (FPA) ____ Leave 2 sets of
materials (for mother and absentee father) ____
Occasionally change schedule to accommodate
fathers schedule so he can participate ____
Encourage mother to encourage father
involvement ____ Leave copies of planning
documents so father can be informed of all
plans ____ Obtain 2 signatures when possible on
all program documents
 Please place a check mark next to the answer
that best reflects your thoughts. 1.     I rate
my knowledge level about father impact on child
development as   high _____
medium _____ low _____ 2. Since
January 2004, how has your knowledge about the
role of fathers in child development changed
Changed a great deal _____ Changed
somewhat _____ Not changed _____ 3.     
Do you feel you have an increase awareness of
father importance in Head Start? Yes
_____ No _____ 4.      Are you aware of
including fathers in your approach and plans on
home visits? Yes _____ No
_____ 5.      Do you feel that our group
socialization facility and parent committee
meetings have become more inclusive and friendly
to males? Yes _____ No
_____  6.   Have you made any changes in your
work habits as it relates to including
fathers?  A lot _____ Yes, some _____
Not at all _____  If yes, what are you
doing differently?
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Assessing Your Head Start Programs Capacity For
Father Involvement
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Initial Assessment

• Programs seem to pass through stages in their
  evolution towards becoming father-friendly.
• Where is your Head Start program at in involving
  fathers?
• Stage I Pre-Stage in Father Involvement. The
  program involves parents(mother, father,
  surrogates) in a general way. Little, if any,
  thought has been given to the unique issues of
  involving any parent beyond the mother and to
  what would be required to plan for their
  involvement.
• Stage II Early Stage Father Involvement. Some
  fathers are involved. Most program activities
  still revolve around women and children. Some
  thought and effort have gone into father
  involvement, but it is not one of the top two or
  three focuses for the program.
• Stage III Mid-Stage Father Involvement. Program
  has developed ways to increase its attention to
  father involvement and has begun to show a
  concerned effort in father involvement. Some
  exciting and promising changes are occurring as
  more staff and parents gain a sense of how to
  make the program father-friendly. Father
  Involvement Coordinator may be hired and that
  person does a good job of keeping other staff
  aware of father involvement.
• Stage IV Mature Effort in Father Involvement.
  Many changes have been made in making the program
  father-friendly. Father Involvement Coordinator
  now focuses more on integrating fathers into the
  program and applying all program activities to
  fathers. Programs may be more focused on fathers
  in the family as the target rather than on
  fathers per se. Many resident fathers are now
  involved with the program. Some non-resident
  fathers are involved.
• Stage V Very Mature Effort in Father
  Involvement. Most resident fathers are involved
  in the program on at least a monthly basis. The
  program offers a great variety of father
  involvement activities. Many non-resident fathers
  are involved and there are many creative efforts
  in place for involving non-resident fathers.
• (Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.)

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• S.W.O.T. Analysis Questions
• A S.W.O.T. Analysis can assist your organization
  in assessing its strengths, weaknesses,
  opportunities
• and threats on a given issue or potential
  program.
• To Analyze the Impact of the Culture of Your
  Organization
• Strengths
• What are the advantages that my Head Start
  organization has in implementing or running a
  program for fathers?
• What do we do well that will help us to implement
  or run a fatherhood program?
• Weaknesses
• What can we improve that will help us to
  implement or run a fatherhood program?
• What do we do poorly that affects our ability to
  implement or run a fatherhood program?
• To Analyze the Impact of Your Community and
  Beyond
• Opportunities
• What opportunities exist within our community and
  beyond that will help us implement or run a
  fatherhood program?
• What interesting trends in our community and
  beyond will help us implement or run a fatherhood
  program?
• Threats
• What obstacles exist in my community and beyond
  to implementing or running a fatherhood program?

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S.W.O.T. Analysis Worksheet Conduct a S.W.O.T.
analysis on how the culture of your organization
(internal forces) and the forces within your
community and beyond (e.g., statewide trends and
other external forces) influence/will influence
the design and delivery of your fatherhood
program.
Which Management Systems relate? PG Program
Governance, PL Planning, C Communication, RR
Record Keeping and Reporting, M Ongoing
Monitoring, SA Self-Assessment, HR Human
Resources, FM Fiscal Management
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Head Start Fatherhood Best Practices Worksheet
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Head Start Fatherhood Best Practices Worksheet
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Head Start Fatherhood Best Practices Worksheet
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Head Start Fatherhood Best Practices Worksheet
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Best Practice Tips for Building Head Start
Fatherhood Programs

• 1. Know Your Community-Based Setting
• Community Organizations norms, values, beliefs
  and characteristics
• Demographics (ethnic/racial compositions)
• Size
• History (long-lasting issues, events,
  conservative, liberal)
• 2. Assess Your Organizations Written
  Policies Procedures
• Father-Friendly Language
• Outreach Enrollment
• Family Consents and Agreements
• Environmental Audit
• Collaborative Agreements (Domestic Relations,
  counselors, etc.)
• Hiring Policies
• 3. Know Your Head Start Fathers
• Needs Wants
• Assessment of Fathers
• Characteristics of Fathers
• 4. Match Programs and Services to Needs
  Wants of Fathers
• Address critical issues of fathers being served
  masculinity, fathering skills, child development,
  relationships, sexuality, personal discipline,
  cultural understanding, anger management, grief
  and loss, mens health, employment, money
  management, balancing work and family
• Policy Group Involvement

• 5. Develop Training Plan For Staff
• New employee orientation
• Pre-Service and In-Service trainings
• Performance Assessments
• Annual follow-up trainings
• 6. Include Entire Family When Working With
  Fathers
• Assess father-mother relationship
• Provide mothers with complete description of the
  program or service
• Create program activities for entire family
• 7. Develop Recruitment Retention Plan for
  Maintaining Father Involvement
• Allocate staff time for outreach recruitment
• Evaluate staffing patterns
• Engage fathers, mothers and staff in annual
  program evaluation
• Develop appropriate brochures, materials and
  resources

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• Friend
• Advisor
• Teacher
• Helper
• Encourager
• Role Model

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