true dads embracing fatherhood, leveraging fathers presented by calvin williams
TRANSCRIPT
CALVIN WILLIAMS Director of Fatherhood Services, Public Strategies
EMBRACING FATHERHOOD,
LEVERAGING FATHERS:
Strengthening Families, Children & Communities
OUTLINE
• Father Absence
• Father-need & Child-need
• Our Boy Problem
• Father Presence
• Fatherhood: Role Models & Outcomes
• What We Can Do: Action Steps
WHEN DID DADS BECOME ABSENT?
cultural beliefs, principles, morals, societal
norms, values, and community expectations
affect fathers implicitly but…
CURRENT SOCIAL FORCES affect paternal behavior more directly.
WHEN DID FATHERHOOD
ABSENCE BEGIN TO MATTER?
KIDS FROM FATHERLESS HOMES
ARE MORE LIKELY TO …
5x – commit suicide
7x – become a teenage mom
7x – drop out of school
11x – commit rape
15x – have behavioral disorders
15x – end up in prison
24x – run away
73x – be killed
EVERY NIGHT
24 MILLION CHILDREN GO TO BED IN
A HOME ABSENT THEIR
BIOLOGICAL FATHER
51,870,921 CHILDREN GO TO BED IN A
HOME WITH THEIR BIOLOGICAL FATHER
WHY SOME FATHERS
REMAIN CONNECTED?
• Positive relationship with mom
• Resources to protect their
parental rights
• Consistent support from their
family
• Mom’s desire for child to have a
relationship with dad
• Reliable and steady income
• Affordable and safe housing
WHY SOME FATHERS
ARE NOT CONNECTED?
• Mom’s gatekeeping
• Serial fathering
• Overwhelmed
• Homelessness
• Negative family court experience
• Shame generated by lack of resources
• Dad “protecting” child from his lifestyle
• Lack of knowledge of paternal rights
OUR BOY PROBLEM
THE GENDER GAP
1. Educational attainment and
economic well-being
2. Change in family structure
OUR BOY PROBLEM
“ABSENCE OF FORMAL MARRIAGE WOULD NOT
BE ESPECIALLY SIGNIFICANT IF IT DID NOT OFTEN
COINCIDE WITH AN ABSENCE OF STABLE FATHERS
FROM THE LIVES OF THEIR CHILDREN.”
OUR BOY PROBLEM OUR BOY PROBLEM
…stagnation of male educational
attainment has profound implications for
the welfare of both sexes.
OUR BOY PROBLEM
…men have adapted to this new labor
market less successfully than women.
OUR BOY PROBLEM
…GIRLS MAY INCREASINGLY
EXPECT TO FULLY SUPPORT
BOTH THEMSELVES AND
THEIR CHILDREN WHEREAS
MALES MAY COME TO EXPECT
A LESS CENTRAL ROLE.
THE ANSWER: KEEP MEN CONNECTED
TO THEIR KIDS
“…THE ‘HIT AND RUN’ IMAGE
OF UNWED FATHERHOOD…IS A
CARICATURE AND NOT AN
ACCURATE RENDERING—
A CARICATURE THAT
OBSCURES MORE THAN IT
REVEALS.”
Kathy Edin, Doing the Best That I Can
THE ANSWER:FATHER PRESENCE
FATHERS NEED TO KNOW THAT
IT’S A MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT;
A JOURNEY, NOT A TRIP.
IMAGE
REAL Dads
More than $443,550 in child support paid by REAL Dads caseload
since program inception
89% of fathers entering the program are not paying at intake, compared
to 53% are now paying after program completion
Countless court cases where REAL Dads clients avoided incarceration based on their involvement in the program
105 drivers license reinstatements in 2009 approximately 300 reinstatements since program inception
Currently an average of 175 cases in REAL Dads paying over $20,000 a month in child support. Many of these father’s had never paid support before
REAL DADS/ OUTCOMES
More likely to live with the child, and provide
substantial financial support than fathers in the
control group
More likely to engage in cognitive and social
play with their children
Reported less parenting stress or aggravation
FAMILY EXPECTATIONS/ OUTCOMES
3D FATHERS
WHAT FATHERS ARE SAYING
ABOUT TRUE DADS… “Because of this course, I’m more motivated to be
the father my son needs.”
“I liked hearing the problems & solutions from
other dads.”
“The information, the class overall and the input
given by other dads. The interaction between
strangers coming together for their kids.”
1. Consider fathers in the best light
2. Elevate co-parenting
3. Flood the community with dad friendly messages
4. Hold an annual, statewide fatherhood conference
5. Conduct a fatherhood assessment
6. Collect Oklahoma-specific father data
7. Focus on reconciling fathers and children
8. Educate yourself on father serving resources
around you and use them
WHAT WE ALL CAN DO:
On My Shoulders
June 25-27, 2014
Oklahoma City
CURRICULUM TRAINING
CALVIN WILLIAMS
Director of Fatherhood Services, Public Strategies
CONTINUE THE
CONVERSATION