The White House Initiative
174As Father’s Day approaches, NAHF welcomes the work of the Obama Administration in promoting the importance of fatherhood in the lives of children and families. The Fatherhood and Mentoring Initiative was launched last year and builds on the work already underway by the Administration for Children & Families and other federal agencies in promoting the role of fathers.
Last month, President Obama encouraged faith-based and community organizations, along with fathers, mothers, and family-serving organizations, to join the Initiative.
To learn more about the President’s Initiative, visit http://www.fatherhood.gov/pledge (or http://www.fatherhood.gov/iniciativa for Spanish).
NAHF Research on Latino Fathers
Unfortunately, when compared with research on mothers, fathers in general are dramatically underrepresented in the psychological literature, according to a research review conducted for NAHF by Dr. Alicia La Hoz, director of Family Bridges in Chicago.
What it means to be a father in the U.S. has been changing dramatically over the last several decades. Fatherhood itself is a complex role influenced by many factors including personality characteristics, previous experiences, and culture. The research on fatherhood, although on the rise, continues to dwindle in comparison to that of mothers, and this is even more true of research on Latino fathers and their families, La Hoz says. Because of this gap in the research, few evidence-based parenting programs specifically target fathers; even fewer target Latino families. Of 70 evidence-based parenting curricula now in use, a Michigan State University study found that only one was purposefully designed for families within the Hispanic culture. Some of the programs had been translated into Spanish, although the change was limited to language and did not adjust the curriculum to be relevant to the Latino culture.
In order to best meet the needs of Latino families, La Hoz recommends that more research be undertaken on a large scale to inform culturally relevant programming.
Click here to read the full report.
National Latino Fatherhood and Family Institute
One successful fatherhood resource specifically designed for Hispanics is the National Latino Fatherhood and Family Institute which builds upon the cultural strengths and traditions of Latino men and boys, and offers a path for men of all ages to reach their potential. Since 1988, NLFFI has been addressing fatherhood issues. For more information, visit www.nlffi.org