The Extent of Fatherlessness

2. The Extent of Fatherlessness • An estimated 23.6 million children (32.3 percent) live absent their biological father. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Current Population Survey Reports. "Household Relationship and Living Arrangements of Children Under 18 Years, by Age, Sex, Race, Hispanic Origin: 2004. • According to 72.2 % of the U.S. population, fatherlessness is the most significant family or social problem facing America. Source: National Center for Fathering, Fathering in America Poll, January, 1999.

3. Educational Achievement Children who lived with only one parent had: lower grade point averages lower college aspirations poor attendance records higher drop out rates • Source: McLanahan, Sara and Gary Sandefur. Growing up with a Single Parent: What Hurts, What Helps. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1994. Fatherless children are twiceas likely to drop out of school. • Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Center for Health Statistics. Survey on Child Health. Washington, DC; GPO, 1993.   School children from divorced families are: absent more more anxious hostile withdrawn less popular with their peers • Source: One-Parent Families and Their Children: The School's Most Significant Minority. The Consortium for the Study of School Needs of Children from One-Parent Families. National Association of elementary School Principals and the Institute for Development of Educational Activities, a division of the Charles f. Kettering Foundation. Arlington, VA 1980.  

4. Rising Expectations for Fathers • The National Center for Fathering's Gallup Poll in 1992 found 96.8% of those responding agreed that fathers should be more involved their children's education. • 54.1% agreed that "fathers today spend less time with their children than their fathers did with them."

5. 180 Days of Dads Program How it began…. • Viewed a story on ABC News about the W.A.T.C.H Dogs program-protection • Brought idea back to WES School Council and proposed to the Administration that the School Council create a custom “Dads” volunteer program. • Administration agreed to assist and support such a program in collaboration with School Council. • Piloted the program during CRCT with Dads And Doors

6. Dads and Doors CRCT April/May 2009 We were looking for our Fathers to help with the Morning car & bus duty for the CRCT testing days. We wanted whatever help we could get. • Car Duty • Bus Lane • Lunchroom Duty

8. The Beginning of

9. WHY SHOULD YOU VOLUNTEER? • Dads Make A Difference • We need male role models in our schools • You will get the opportunity to meaningfully participate in your child’s Possible Duties as assigned by Administration could include: • Morning Car/Bus • Lunchroom • Hall • Recess • Assist in the Media Center • Afternoon Car/Bus dismissal *As a volunteer, you will NOT be asked to be a substitute in charge of a class

10. How do you get started? • Commit to volunteering at least 1 full day or partial day a school year • Complete a background check with the local sheriff’s office at no charge to you, application forms will be supplied by WES • Wear a 180 Days, 180 Dads t-shirt when volunteering • T-shirts can be purchased for $8 • Abide by all school policies and procedures

11. MENtors

12. As the sun broke through the clouds Monday, parent Maureen Ware left Woodland Elementary School pleased to know that one of her daughters was in good hands. With her 3-year-old daughter, Cailey, in tow, Ware said she felt confident leaving her 5-year-old daughter, Cassidy, behind to take in her first day of kindergarten. "I love this school," Ware said as she was greeted by parents waiting near the entrance. Among them were several men, volunteers in the school's 180 Days of Dads Program, which kicked off Monday with the first day of school. The program, which aims to increase involvement among the community's male role models, places at least one male adult volunteer at the school, in some capacity, each day of the 180-day school year. I think it's a great program because it gets the dads involved," Ware said. "It's usually the moms that do this sort of thing." On Monday, fathers like Andy Lipham volunteered their time as "door dads," assisting students being dropped off by the school bus and by their parents. Lipham is a founding member of the group and a sort of inspiration for creating the program, according to Robin Lamp, the school council's president, and Christine Anderson, principal at Woodland Elementary. Over the years, it has become a routine for Lipham, who has two students at the school, to greet students in the morning whenever he has a few minutes to spare, he said. "I "I kind of took it upon myself [to go help teachers greet the children]," he said. "And it's just become something that I enjoy doing." School officials decided last spring to incorporate Lipham's good-will gesture into their school-wide campaign for parental involvement. think it's an excellent idea," Lipham said. "The dad is usually the bread winner and doesn't have a lot of time due to other obligations. But I think it's one of the most important things a parent can do for a child - that you be there not necessarily doing anything, but being there." Fathers are being asked to volunteer their time doing several different tasks, from assisting teachers to greeting children in the school cafeteria, said Lamp, the school council president. We're asking for one dad a day to help as we already have moms involved," Lamp said. "Some dads volunteer an entire day. And we've got some dads that are laid off, and they have some time to volunteer that they may not ever have had before." Lamp said fathers and other male volunteers go through an application process which includes a background check. Anderson, the school principal, said the program is a benefit to students and the school community at Woodland Elementary. "It's a hit with our dads," Anderson said. "This initiative targets our male role model. Students don't typically see them here. I think all of our parents want to be involved in our school in one way or another. This provides an opportunity and a plan for our parents to get involved." School officials urge parental involvementHenry Herald NewspaperBy Johnny Jackson

13. Dads pull volunteer duty at Woodland Elementary The Atlanta Journal-Constitution By Gracie Bonds Staples 12:53 p.m. Friday, August 7, 2009 The men stood at the entrance of Woodland Elementary in Stockbridge, one father focused on foot traffic; three others on the cars. “Good morning,” said Mike Nabers, opening the door to greet students. The 51-year-old engineer and father of two sons at Woodland, is a strong believer in fathers being involved in their children’s schools. “It means a lot to the kids,” he said. This week at Woodland, Nabers and other dad greeters kicked off “180 dads, 180 days,” a new school-wide initiative to increase the number of fathers volunteering at the school. The effort already appears a success. Instead of one father manning the door as they’d hoped, four showed up. Although schools can still look and feel like a moms-only zone, a recent study by the National Center for Fathering and the National Parent Teacher Association found that the number of involved fathers is actually on the rise. Over the past 10 years, men across the country have been taking their children to school, visiting the classroom and volunteering more than ever before. “I like doing it,” he said. “It’s important to me to be a good role model.” Woodland’s school advisory board began talking about getting dads more involved in the school in January, said Robin Lamp, president of the school council. In April, the council instituted the “dads and doors” program to get fathers opening car doors for students as they were being dropped off. This freed up teachers to go to their classrooms and get ready for the day. “And it gave dads the opportunity to help before going to work,” said Lamp. “You would’ve thought we were handing out $100 bills,” Lamp said. “They made it their morning mission to make every kid smile.”

14. MENtors:180 Days of Dad program growing Henry Neighbor Newspaper By Nicole Hollimon What started as an attempt to present more male role models at Woodland Elementary School in McDonough has caught the attention of the state Parent Teacher Association. Robin Lamp, a parent volunteer, said the organization contacted her about endorsing 180 Days of Dads on a statewide level, a surprise to someone who had no idea the program would receive so much support. “I was of the mindset that our society just doesn’t care anymore,” said Ms. Lamp. The idea was simple: bring in fathers, grandfathers and stepfathers to show children that men have a place in schools, too. The volunteers welcome children to school by opening car doors in the morning and monitoring lunchrooms and hallways. They also help label, sort and shelve books in the library, or move tables and chairs and are always in the presence of a teacher or an administrator. “That’s why we had to get creative and figure out where we can use them,” said Ms. Lamp. She said it is important for men to know that their presence is needed. “You’re not less of a man if you help out in the library. You’re not less of a man if you sit on the school council advisory board,” said Ms. Lamp. Twenty men signed up during open house night in August and are serving in some capacity, said Ms. Lamp, and several more are awaiting completion of their background checks to begin volunteering. David Smith lives in Atlanta but drives south whenever needed to help with morning car duty and to start his and his 7-year-old grandson’s day with a hug. “I get a whole lot more out of it than the kids do,” said Smith. He said the program is a “tremendous” opportunity to positively engage men in school activities. “I remember when my daddy showed up at school, I was in trouble,” Smith joked. Ms. Lamp said the children are beginning to recognize the volunteers and develop relationships with them. “Now they’re starting to become a fixture,” said Ms. Lamp. In addition to the state PTA, four other schools in the county, including a high school, have contacted her about how to adapt the program to their schools, said Ms. Lamp. The program’s facilitators would like to expand it to include police officers, firemen, lawmakers and other community leaders.

15. ARE YOU READY?