ACF Administration for Childrenand Families
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.
Log No. ACF-IM-HS-13-01.
Issuance Date: 06/04/20133.
Originating Office: Office of Head Start.
Key Words: Father Engagement

TO: Head Start and Early Head Start Grantee and Delegate Agencies

SUBJECT: Improving Father Engagement in Head Start and Early Head Start

INFORMATION:Head Start has a long history of focusing on fathers and father figures as important contributors to the school readiness of children and the well-being of families. Since 2004, when the Office of Head Start OHS introduced Building Blocks for Father Involvement to the Head Start community, many programs have continued to make their program environments more father-friendly and support fathers strengths, needs, and aspirations for themselves and their children.

Father engagement is not a stand-alone initiative, but rather a vital and integrated aspect of parent, family, and community engagement efforts in Head Start and Early Head Start. The Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007 identifies the importance of father engagement in particular for those communities participating in the designation renewal process. The Act refers to outreach to fathers and father figures and the inclusion of fathers in home visits and parent-teacher conferences. Section 641d2J [42 USC 9836] of the Act also refers to male participation in the program and to partnerships with male family members that strengthen their roles as parents and as educators of their children.

Source: Office of Head Start

Available at: http://hsicc.cmail1.com/t/ViewEmail/j/C83E154CFA5CA83A/694C7A9EDC54BD6444D0DD5392A9C75A