July 29, 2011
Start your weekend off right with a hilarious video about fatherhood.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTIzjVxvV2U]Stressing fatherhood involvement is more important than ever. The number of children living without fathers has more than doubled in the last 50 years, according to research recently released from the Pew Research Center. Studies show that fathers play a major role in every aspect of their child’s development. From emotional well-being to academic achievement, children with active fathers generally fare better as they grow up.
That’s why fatherhood was the theme of our most recent Allies in Prevention Coalition (AIPC) meeting. Family and child welfare advocates from all over Northern Virginia gathered on June 15thto exchange ideas about the challenges facing dads in our area.
The highlight of the meeting was a panel discussion with two dads from the Capital Youth Empowerment Program’s Fathers in Touch. Participants in the program meet to discuss issues facing dads, get advice, and gain support and resources. The two dads both said the support from the program was invaluable. As the dads pointed out, to the laughter of everyone in the room, the AIPC meeting was almost entirely comprised of women. So, getting their take on being a dad in today’s society was really enlightening. One of the main issues that face dads, they said, was the stereotype that moms are nurturers and dads are disciplinarians. Based on the number of AIPC members who asked for more information about CYEP, it was clear that the program is an incredibly useful resource in our community.
From governmental campaigns to blogs, there is a national effort to encourage dads to become more active in their child’s lives and make fatherhood a priority in our communities. To learn more about the importance of dads, visit SCAN’s online parent resource center or check out our recent letter to the editor that appeared in local newspapers.
Our next AIPC meeting is going to be bigger and better than ever. If you want to learn more about prevention initiatives in Virginia, RSVP to the Northern Virginia Prevention Summit, which will take place on September 15 from 12-2:30pm. For more details, contact [email protected].
Fancy Free Friday:
If you love photography you’ll be all over this week’s Fancy Free Friday giveaway. We’re giving you the chance to win a $10 gift card to Penn Camera. As usual, all you have to do is leave a comment to get a chance to win. But you can DOUBLE your chances of taking away the gift card by subscribing to BuildingBlocks. If you’re stuck on what to say, here are some things we’d love to know: What do you think about fatherhood involvement? How do you think we can foster more active dads in our community? Or you can just say hi! We’d love to hear from you.
-Jenna Temkin