The Daddy Dilemma

Communities and programs work together to get males engaged in children’s lives and education

Early childhood education programs, service and childcare providers, schools, community agencies, and other groups serving children and families struggle to get more fathers involved in their children’s lives. With communities constantly in a state of flux, programs turn to community assessments to assist them in finding ways to get more father’s engaged in their child’s education and life by designing programs and building partnerships using data analysis. Understanding the roles men and women played over the centuries illustrates how gender roles have changed and continue to change.

A short history of male roles in the family and community

During the 18th and 19th centuries men were the head of the household, providing financially for the family and taking care of other matters outside the home, while the day to day running of the household fell to women, including anything to do with schooling and education. Fathers educated sons on what his role would be as an adult when taking on a family. There are men who still adopt that role today, especially in families immigrating to the U.S. Representing a variety of…