How Can Head Start Staff Support Fatherhood Efforts?

by Pam Wilson

There is a role for both male and female staff in Head Start fatherhood projects. The majority of Head Start administrators, teachers, and specialists are women, although fatherhood projects in particular have the goal of hiring male staff. To ensure that the fatherhood efforts are fully integrated into the services offered families, all staff must be committed and prepared to reach out to fathers.

Many are asking, “How can we support our Head Start staff in our fatherhood efforts?” The following suggestions may be useful:

Provide staff development and training.
All women and men who have been charged with developing or implementing a fatherhood program need comprehensive training and ongoing support. The goal is to provide them with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills they will need to work effectively with fathers and other important men in the lives of Head Start children. At some point, participants attending training need the opportunity to explore their attitudes toward and experiences with important males in their own lives. Training also helps staff understand the specific needs of Head Start dads and begin to plan appropriate program activities. Participants often remark how helpful it is to“ put a face on the fatherhood issue” and see dads as individuals, not as stereotypes.

Keep the focus on what is good for the child.
Head Start staff need to keep the child at the center of their work with parents. All staff, along with mothers and fathers, need to work together in the child’s best interest. But this can sometimes be difficult. Staff may feel awkward around the dads because they do not know them as well as they know the moms. If a mother describes the child’s father in negative ways or expresses anger at him, her feelings may be more about him as an adult partner and not about his parenting. Staff can help moms make this distinction and understand how fathers can be positive influences on their children. It is important for staff to affirm that children learn and grow best when both parents are involved in their lives.

View fathers from a strength-based perspective.
In most Head Start programs, family service staff are women. Father involvement projects are often part of their jobs. There may not be additional funding to hire male staff. Female staff who have a genuine respect for men and see each man as an individual with the potential to be loving and responsible can work successfully in fatherhood projects.
Every father will enter the program with certain strengths, as well as challenges. It is important for staff to look for these strengths and to avoid criticizing a man’s parenting style just because it is different from the way they would parent. Head Start fathers need the same support and assistance that mothers need as they set goals and work toward them.

Use a team approach.
If a Head Start program has a male fatherhood involvement coordinator, the tendency can be to put all responsibility for male involvement on that person. In fact, all members of the Head Start team have to work together to support the family and the child. They each have to form a connection with the dads. Coordination of services is a must; all team members must think about the needs of fathers and how to address them. For example, a father with literacy issues might welcome assistance from a family literacy specialist. Classroom teachers can offer support by preparing materials for the father and child to read or do together at home. When staff members, both male and female, see themselves as part of the team working with all significant adults, fatherhood efforts are more likely to be successful.

Refine communication skills.
Staff members sometimes struggle with how to communicate effectively with dads. Is the communication process different with fathers than with mothers? In general, fathers may be less trusting of agencies and helpers. They also may see Head Start as a place for children and mothers and not be sure where they, as dads, fit in.

The best strategy is for staff to develop rapport and meet them where they are. Giving dads time to open up and conveying respect by using their names are important. In training sessions, staff can role play what they would say or do in situations involving dads. For example, imagine that the father is sitting in the car while the mother goes into the Head Start center to pick up the child. A teacher sees him, but is not sure what to say, so avoids him. How can she approach him and have a pleasant, meaningful exchange?

The best strategy is to be friendly, down-to-earth, and focused on the child’s progress. An important part of any training is helping staff learn how to communicate effectively in many different situations with the men in children’s lives.

Final Thoughts

Most Head Start staff members say they want to establish a positive relationship with the fathers of the children in their program. In one study of Early Head Start fatherhood programs, 93% of the staff reported that they had invited fathers to participate in events at the program, whereas only 44% of the fathers reported that they had been invited. The fact that Head Start fathers and staff have such different perceptions indicates the need for programs to analyze their policies and practices—to take a closer look at what they are doing to make fathers feel welcome. Working with Head Start staff, at all levels in all positions, both male and female, is key to creating father-friendly environments.

Pam Wilson is a consultant to fatherhood and male involement programs. She is based in the Washington, D.C. area. T: 301-894-8316; E: pamwilson@comcast.net