by Kent H. Williams, Executive Director and CEO, SJB Child Development Centers, Co-Chair of the Santa Clara County Fatherhood/Male Involvement Collaborative

The birth of a child is one of the greatest moments to a new parent. It is the start of a new life that brings a parent to a new level of thinking; one of selflessness and unconditional love. However, for many fathers it can be a time of confusion and uncertainty. Many men’s ideas of fatherhood can be blurred by conflicting stereotypes of what it means to be a man vs. a nurturer and may feel that the two are not compatible. For other men, fatherhood means being a provider; providing for only the child’s basic needs of clothing, food and shelter. Another challenge is that some mothers may have similar perceptions of fatherhood and may not have an expectation of fathers being nurturing and involved which can perpetuate the challenges. Regardless, our children require so much more from men.

In Santa Clara County, the Fatherhood/Male Involvement Collaborative (Collaborative) and FIRST 5 Santa Clara County have begun to provide a path for men to be involved in their child’s development. The Collaborative is a FIRST 5 funded group of leaders that represents a cross-section of the Santa Clara County community that come together to create standards and awareness of healthy fatherhood and male involvement. The Collaborative has set a standard of fatherhood/male involvement in Santa Clara County of what it means to be a father or male contributor in the lives of children, families and communities:

• Availability: Fathers are accessible and present in their child’s life and make them a priority.
• Responsibility: Fathers ensure that the child is financially and emotionally supported, safe, and happy.
• Interaction: Fathers engage with their children in play, reading, talking, homework, and other healthy activities.

Research indicates that a father’s parenting style, level of closeness, flexibility and other family processes significantly affect their child’s well-being. Research also shows that when the father is absent from a child’s life, the subsequent lack of father’s interaction, availability, and responsibility is a contributing reason for the child being less successful later in life. With more informed and involved fathers, we can begin to address indicators in Santa Clara County such as:

• Nearly 40% high school drop out rate for non-Asian, minority students
• Increased annual teen pregnancy rates
• Increasing criminal/incarceration rates of youth

There are many activities the Collaborative is contributing to that help engage fathers and men while encouraging their involvement. Schools and early educators are now reaching out to fathers to encourage and validate their importance to their child’s development.

SJB Child Development Centers is the first organization in Santa Clara County to provide training to Title V childcare providers in engaging, understanding and promoting the importance of fatherhood involvement. MACSA and the Foundation of Family Values have also been providing services that help men overcome challenges, reunify with their children and family, and stay active in their child’s successful development into adulthood.

But, we still need more involvement from our community. Individuals and organizations can get involved in many ways to help make a difference. One way is to become a member of the Collaborative to help share your expertise in this movement. Organizations can be trained on how to incorporate father-friendly practices to better engage fathers. You can also make a financial donation to the Collaborative to enhance the effort in reaching all fathers and men, and in turn, enrich and enhance the lives of each child in our county and community.

For more information regarding fatherhood/male involvement or to get involved with the SCC Fatherhood/Male Involvement Collaborative, please contact 260.3700

For additional resources, visit www.streetpositive.com.