Breaking Barriers: How Men as Allies Can Transform Parenting & Community

I have long believed if we want to end domestic violence we must have men as allies. And that does not mean just men who stand up and say, “Enough’ s Enough!” – although that is a start.

We need men who respect their partners and mothers of their children.  We need men who are actively involved in the lives of their children. We need men who are positive role models for their children and other men.

That is why Hands of Hope as part of the Delta Ahead Initiative is currently seeking input from all fathers to find out what is working and what is not working when it comes to men being actively involved nurturing and caregiving in their child(ren)’s lives.

We want to hear from all fathers, because while we are experts in knowing ways to reduce and eliminate domestic violence at Hands of Hope, we are not fathers.

I will never condone any parent who uses their children as a pawn to keep his victim in an abusive relationship.  What I will encourage is adult men and women acting like adults and being a positive role model for their children by figuring out how to co-parent with a goal to enrich their child’s lives. 

Almost one quarter of American minor children live without their fathers at home, according to the U.S. Census Bureau data in 2021.

Fathers play a vital role in a child’s development and can affect a child’s social competence, performance in school, and emotion regulation, according to an article in Psychology Today by Jennifer E. Lansford, Ph.D.  And the impact fathers can have is important whether or not the father is living in the same home as the child.

So, between now and Nov. 30th, Hands of Hope is calling all fathers to take a brief survey about your experience as a father – active or not active. We are looking for those barriers that keep a father from being involved in their child’s life, as well as what is working well and how we can capture that for others.

Some of the questions in the survey include day-to-day activities parents do to take care of children, what factors impact your ability to spend quality time with your children, and what additional services, if any, do you feel you need to fulfill your role as a father?  

All information is confidential and all completed survey participants are eligible to enter a drawing for a $40 gas card.  Fathers will also be invited to sign up to be a part of a focus group where more in-depth conversations will be had about fathering.

Once all the surveys are taken and the information tabulated, Hands of Hope will convene our Fathering Group to determine next steps on how we can take what we have learned and implement next steps. We are listening and we want to know how fathering be improved in Grant County.

For more information about Hands of Hope and the care we provide please visit our Website – Hands of Hope – Radiant Health