#CelebrateFatherFigures
HOME | . WHY FATHERS MATTER • . LGBTAQI+ FATHERS • . FATHERS WITH DISABILITIES • . IMMIGRANT FATHERS • . INDIGENOUS & FIRST PEOPLES • . FRAMEWORKS, MODELS, & INTERVENTIONS • . RESOURCES
Description
If we want to ensure infants’ and young children’s healthy development across domains (i.e. cognitive, motor, social-emotional), fathers and father figures are essential. This curriculum highlights stories from communities around the country to illustrate the importance of including fathers from all backgrounds. Additionally, it provides a comprehensive set of resources on father engagement programming. Practitioners, program leaders, advocates, and other professionals working in our early childhood systems of care will walk away understanding the why and the how of authentic father engagement.
What is this Curriculum
You should think of this curriculum as…
- A collection of stories exploring fatherhood
- A growing list of resources, tools and interventions
Learning Outcomes
Those who use this curriculum will…
- Discover a deeper understanding of the changing role of fathers and father figures in families, programs, and systems.
- Grasp father figures’ emotional needs and understand how to better meet these needs through program design and implementation.
- Investigate why the images, symbols, and ideas associated with father figures are paramount.
- Explore how fatherhood programs fit into early childhood programs and systems.
- Practice using a language and framework for working with LGBTQ+ fathers, father figures, and parents.
- Gain knowledge and confidence about where to go next – where to find resources, how to build skills, and how to overcome obstacles to fatherhood engagement.
- Unlearn outdated ways of talking and thinking about fatherhood, while also reclaiming ancient, timeless aspects of fatherhood.
A Note about Mentimeter
We believe in the wisdom of crowds, and participatory research. As such, in many of the activities and sections of this curriculum, we have embedded questions where you will be able to submit your answers via Mentimeter, an online tool that allows us to garner answers from the different kinds of practitioners who engage with our curriculum. We encourage you to take the time to submit your answers to questions to our Mentimeter. By doing so, you contribute to a growing body of knowledge and you join a group of father engagement practitioners pooling their wisdom together. Your perspective will help us to deepen our understanding, further our research, and enhance the trainings we offer.
Terms & Definitions
- Fatherhood + Father Figures + Caregivers
- “Fathers can be biological, social, or legal. They may live in the same household or live apart from one or more of their kids.”
- Source: Office of Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), “What is Father Engagement” Infographic
- Folks in fathering roles may or may not have been assigned male at birth.
- “Fathers can be biological, social, or legal. They may live in the same household or live apart from one or more of their kids.”
- Father Engagement
- “The purposeful inclusion of fathers in human services programs with the goal of improving outcomes for fathers, children, and families.”
- Source: Office of Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), “What is Father Engagement” Infographic
- “The purposeful inclusion of fathers in human services programs with the goal of improving outcomes for fathers, children, and families.”
- Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health
- “The developing capacity of the child from birth to five years of age to form close and secure adult and peer relationships; experience, manage, and express a full range of emotions; and explore the environment and learn – all in the context of family, community, and culture.”
- Source: First Three Years “The Basics of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health: A Briefing Paper”
- Source: First Three Years “The Basics of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health: A Briefing Paper”
- “The developing capacity of the child from birth to five years of age to form close and secure adult and peer relationships; experience, manage, and express a full range of emotions; and explore the environment and learn – all in the context of family, community, and culture.”
- Systems of Care (source)
- “A system of care is a comprehensive spectrum of effective services and supports for children, youth, and young adults with or at risk for mental health or other challenges and their families that is organized into a coordinated network of care, builds meaningful partnerships with families and youth, and is culturally and linguistically responsive in order to help them to thrive at home, in school, in the community, and throughout life…A system of care incorporates mental health promotion, prevention, early identification, and early intervention in addition to treatment to address the needs of all children, youth, and young adults.”
- Source: Georgetown University Center for Human and Child Development “System of Care Definition and Philosophy”
- “A system of care is a comprehensive spectrum of effective services and supports for children, youth, and young adults with or at risk for mental health or other challenges and their families that is organized into a coordinated network of care, builds meaningful partnerships with families and youth, and is culturally and linguistically responsive in order to help them to thrive at home, in school, in the community, and throughout life…A system of care incorporates mental health promotion, prevention, early identification, and early intervention in addition to treatment to address the needs of all children, youth, and young adults.”
Audience & Partners
Partners in Infant and Early Childhood Systems of Care (SoC) are charged with drawing attention to issues facing young children and their families within larger service delivery systems. These partners are well-positioned to center their work on engaging fathers and father figures. Partners within systems of care do the following:
- Actualize a promotion and prevention approach to the assessment and treatment of mental health issues that emerge during the early years.
- Support the development of relationships with the familial and community constellations that surround a child–including with fathers and father figures.
- Empower families and related practitioners to support the social-emotional development of children, highlighting the important and unique contributions of fathers.
Broadly, these commitments and activities can build the capacity of infants, toddlers, and young children for success upon entering school and later in life. Our Infant and Early Childhood SOC partners and audience for this curriculum include:
Curriculum
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