Happy Father’s Day – Supporting Father Involvement Tips

In honor of Father’s Day and all the beneficial things fathers bring to each and every day; here are some tips to help support father involvement in your organization.

• Create a welcoming environment that is friendly, inviting, secure, and comfortable for men. Involve men in the design and decoration of the center, including photos of fathers and involvement activities.

• Include the word “fathers” on forms, flyers, and documents.

• Have children draw pictures and write letters about their fathers or other male role models.

• Offer parent education training and classes specifically for men on various topics including child development and communication skills.

• Create father support groups, Daddy and Me classes, male mentoring programs, or Dads Only groups.

• Simply ask fathers to be present, be more inclusive, and actively listen to them.

• Educate staff, mothers, and the community about the value of positive father involvement.

• Model behavior of what father involvement looks like in father-child activities.

• Encourage mothers to bring their husbands, boyfriends, brothers, etc. to meetings and events.

• Establish routines and rituals that involve and recognize fathers.

• Break the cycle of minimizing father involvement.

For more information on supporting father involvement in your organization, visit http://www.familyresourcecenters.net/projects-2/supporting-father-involvement/