Fathers and the Organizations Helping Them

The role of a father in a child’s development and future is of paramount importance. On this Father’s Day weekend we celebrate the fathers who step up with their families.

Javier Bardem with Son Leo Encinas Cruz www.parenthoodandkids.com

We especially celebrate Latino fathers for their commitment, sacrifices, passion and love. You are so important!

 Father’s Day – Background and Organizations Helping Dads

This day was chosen by President Lyndon Johnson in 1966. In the United States, we celebrate Father’s Day on the third Sunday in June.  The day became official in 1972, when President Richard Nixon signed the law making Father’s Day permanent.

There are many organizations that focus on fatherhood. One of these organizations is the National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI) that promotes responsible active fatherhood. The organization focuses on improving children’s well-being by increasing the number of children growing up with involved fathers.

1 out of 3 kids in the United States are growing up without a father at home, according to US Census data, and 34% of Hispanic children live without fathers. Children who live absent from their fathers are on average 3 times more likely to be poor and to use drugs.

Here is an interview with Roland C. Warren, president of National Fatherhood Initiative, who appeared on CNN on Father’s Day in 2010:

Latino dads can find groups specifically designed to help them be better fathers. The National Compadres Network (NCN) is an organization that supports the traditional Chicano/Latino “Compadre” extended family system. The organization encourages Latino padres to be active participants in their families.

NCN educates fathers what to do in case of incidents of:

• child abuse,
• domestic and gang violence,
• school failure,
• illiteracy,
• teen pregnancy.

Fathers Reading Every Day (FRED) program

FRED is a program designed by Texas A&M University that encourages fathers to read with their children every day. The program lasts 4 weeks. During the first 2 weeks fathers are asked to read with their kids for 15 minutes and during the last 2 weeks the reading time is increased to 30 minutes a day.

According to the research of The National Center for Fathering from 2009:

• 55% of fathers read to their children at least once or twice a month
• 39% of fathers never read to their children

The study also shows that children growing up with active fathers have better grades and participate in more school activities.

Happy Father’s Day! ¡Feliz Día de los Padres!

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