Dads on Dads, a study published in 2002 on the changing patterns of family life in modern Britain by the Equal Opportunities Commission identified four types of dads based on men’s time involvement with their children, the activities they engaged in with them, and the role they adopted in these interactions.
What type of dad are you? or What type of parents are you?
The recent discussion on poverty, marital status and out of wedlock births (see Vincent Carroll’s February 20th Denver Post column – Discuss poverty at own peril) speaks to the flesh and bone of my work to improve the wellbeing of children as it relates to the absence or presence of a father or father figure. I am a part of a growing number of individuals and agencies in Colorado that are calling men to step up and be the kind of dad their children need them to be.
The politics of father absence, like any social issue of significance, is fraught with a plethora of differing assumptions and opinions.
In 2009 Coloradodads.com had over 100,000 unique visitors and almost 2 million hits. Thank you to everyone who has logged onto our site this year! The website is just a small yet important portion of what we do.
In October 2006, the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS), Colorado Works Division was awarded a $10 million federal grant over five years to strengthen father/child relationships and improve parenting. Since that time we have helped fund 56 programs as they provide thousands of dads with the tools and resources they need to be the kind of men their children need them to be. This year we are funding 27 programs across the state.
It has been especially satisfying to see the development of programs that do not receive funds from us. More and more counties, agencies, and churches have begun to provide services this year that improve the well-being of our children by working with and through their dads. In addition there has been marked improvement of service coordination across divisions and departments of the state and counties.
In the past year we have trained over a 100 different Colorado practitioners in fatherhood practices and curricula.
You probably wouldn’t be surprised to learn that studies indicate that children are spending half as much time outside as they did 20 years ago. Child advocacy expert Richard Louv directly links the lack of nature in the lives of today's wired generation—he calls it nature-deficit—to some of our most disturbing childhood trends, such as the rises in obesity, attention disorders, and depression. Louv, author of one of the classic books on fathering, Fatherlove: What We Need, What We Seek, What We Must Create (1993), has stimulated an international conversation about the future relationship between children and nature, and has helped spawn a movement that is now moving into the international sphere.
His book, Last Child in the Woods was the first book to bring together a new and growing body of research indicating that direct exposure to nature is essential for healthy childhood development and for the physical and emotional health of children and adults. The newest edition of the book includes: 100 actions you can take to create change in your community, school, and family and 35 discussion points to inspire people of all ages to talk about the importance of nature in their lives.
Ann Zander, CSU Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent in Boulder County, has highlighted some of Louv’s points in her August 2009 Family Matters newsletter article; Benefits of children playing in nature.
I’m proud to say we take the importance of the outdoors seriously here in Colorado! On June 15, Lt. Gov. Barbara O’Brien released the Colorado Kids’ Outdoor Bill of Rights; ten activities Colorado kids told her they believe everyone in the state should have an opportunity to experience before they grow up.
Thank you to everyone who helped and participated in the 2009 Colorado Fatherhood Rally! Despite a sky full of threatening clouds nothing rained on this parade! Those present were treated to a great performance and introduction to the power of fatherhood wisdom passed from generation to generation by the Denver Indian Family Resource Center Dancers.
Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper accompanied by his son, Teddy, reminded us of the importance of parental involvement in the life of children no matter what their age.
Dwayne Meeks and Demetrious Jenkins of Urban Colors Arts & Mentoring were awarded the Be There for Your Kids Fatherhood Program of the Year Award. Joel Webster, father to Michael – 13 and Haley 9 received the Be There for Your Kids Father of the Year Award. Joel spent his formative years in and out of foster care, ended up dropping out of high school and spending more time than he would like to recall homeless. Joel was able to break a generational cycle of pain to becoming a hero in the eyes of his wife, children and kids across his neighborhood. He sees himself as “just an ordinary dad.” We recognize him because others have seen the extraordinary in his life!
We need them (fathers) to realize that what makes you a man is not the ability to have a child — it’s the courage to raise one - President Barack Obama, Father’s Day 2008.
Did you know that the following events took place in 1909?
What will you do to recognize dad on the 100th anniversary of Father’s Day this summer?
Like me you have probably stopped trying to figure out what the ribbon of the month is. There are green ribbons, yellow ribbons, gray and pink ribbons. There are tartan ribbons, and orange ribbons. There are even ribbons for “students against the exploitation of Rocky and Bullwinkle in Taco Bell Commercials” and Chicago Cub fans! The Bullwinkle group is now defunct, I’m not sure that will ever be the case for Cubs fans.
I think ribbon campaigns can and do draw attention to important issues and concerns. However, I must admit I don’t ask about ribbons as frequently as I used to. The Blue Ribbon Campaign began in 1989 when a grandmother in Virginia quietly yet determinedly tied a blue ribbon to the antenna of her van, because she wanted “to make people wonder.” Those who inquired about her ribbon heard the tragic story about the abuse of her grandchildren, which ultimately led to the brutal death of her grandson. Why blue? Mrs. Finney chose blue because she couldn’t forget the battered and bruised bodies of her grandchildren. Blue served as a constant reminder that our children need protection.
While I do have a Facebook and Twitter account, I have yet to tap into the instant news updates that my son receives on his cell phone. I still prefer to get my news around 5:30 AM with a cup of coffee and the newspaper. Regrettably today is day one without the Rocky! I subscribe to breaking news headlines by e-mail but I typically wait for the train ride home to catch up with what has happened since the morning via my Blackberry.
All that to say, my teenagers typically know what the Dow did or who has laid off thousands before I do. In today’s age of 24/7 news, our teens hear, even if they don’t give their undivided attention to, stories focused on the economy. By teaching children the importance of spending money wisely at an early age, dads and moms can help them avoid catastrophic mistakes later in life.
Junior Achievement, Rocky Mountain, Inc., recommends these six easy steps when discussing money management with your children:
12 years ago NBC News produced "Labor Day," an award-winning documentary about the alarming rise of inner city children growing up without fathers. It began with the deliveries of three babies born over a 72-hour period at University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey, one of the places where the rate of absentee fathers was especially high. These fathers all made promises to be there with for their child as he or she grew up.
Now, MSNBC has gone back to find out whether these three fathers kept that promise. "A Father's Promise" premieres on Sunday, February 8 at 8 PM ET on MSNBC. Also in the documentary, a cross-section of African-Americans, including NBC's Al Roker and Tiki Barber, come together for a round-table discussion of the situations and issues presented in the program. You can check out some extra clips of the roundtable discussion that you won't get to see in the documentary through this link.
In October 2006, the Colorado Department of Human Services was awarded a federal grant of $10 million to be used over five years with the focus and intent of improving paternal relationships and parenting. Of the $2 million received annually, just under $1.2 million is awarded to appropriate organizations statewide that meet the application requirements.
Funding priority is given to faith and community based organizations that provide fatherhood parent skills training and healthy marriage / couples relationships training as core services. Of the total community access funds available for service providers, 70% is allocated for grass roots and faith based organizations that have social services as a part of their mission, are headquartered in the local community, have a total operating budget of $300,000 or less or have six or fewer full-time equivalent employees.
