Head Start’s Commitment to Fathers

Head Start programs have a long and successful history of male involvement that benefits children and families.

Since its inception in 1965, Head Start programs have benefited from the outstanding contributions of many men, especially fathers. They have been program leaders and active participants in promoting their children’s development. In Head Start’s vision of parent involvement, as mandated in the Head Start Program Performance Standards, fathers and mothers partner with the program to reach family goals. We celebrate this long history of male involvement and welcome the continuing participation of fathers and other men in the Head Start community.

Research shows that fathers make unique and important contributions to their children’s development and that children of involved fathers are more likely to succeed in school. Recent successful implementation of fatherhood involvement demonstration projects in 21 Early Head Start programs has given us ideas about effective practices. To further promote the involvement of fathers in their children’s lives, which is also a priority of President George W. Bush, the Head Start Bureau is highlighting its fatherhood focus.

An important aspect of this effort is The Father Factor: National Head Start Institute on Father Involvement, June 14-18, 2004 in Dallas, Texas. For the first time, the Head Start Bureau is bringing together leaders of every Head Start and Early Head Start program in the nation to focus on father involvement. The goals of the Institute include: ensuring that programs understand the beneficial impact of father involvement; facilitating more effective involvement of fathers in the lives of their children; showcasing and building on best practices; and presenting current information and training.

This Head Start Bulletin on Father Involvement is an important resource for father involvement efforts. The Table of Contents complements The Building Blocks for Father Involvement, a series of booklets that are available to Head Start programs and that provide the structure for the Fatherhood Institute. The sections in the Bulletin are:

Appreciating How Fathers Give Children a Head Start: Why fathers matter and current research findings.

First Thoughts on Getting Fathers Involved in Head Start: The important questions and obstacles a Head Start program must address, such as the role of women in fatherhood programs, and the use of a father-friendly environmental assessment.

Building a Foundation to Work with Fathers: Lessons learned from the fatherhood demonstration projects in Early Head Start and information on creating a family story book.

Planning for Success: Six fatherhood programs from around the country that serve diverse populations.

Bringing a Fatherhood Program to Life: Ways programs can support family literacy, including dads’ reading with their children, and information on several U. S. government efforts to promote children’s and men’s health.

We hope that the information in this Head Start Bulletin assists you in fulfilling our shared mission to support young children and their families. We look forward to seeing you in Dallas and hearing about the progress and accomplishments of your father involvement efforts in the years to come.

Windy M. Hill was named Associate Commissioner of the Head Start Bureau on January 7, 2002.