The importance of male involvement in the children's life.

1. Where Have All the The group is an exciting and
Fathers Gone?
rewarding journey for men. FACT GROUP
Group focuses on character that
every father needs and covers all
Fathers Are Concerned Too
aspects of fatherhood so that men
of all cultures, races, religions and
Stay involved, be committed, background can benefit from the Purpose:
be patient and your influence group.
Purpose of the Group is to increase
will pay off in the long run! positive involvement and interaction
SUPPORT SERVICES: between fathers and their children. We
Get involved-- join the FACT Child Support, Family Court, encourage fathers to help increase
GROUP (uncles, cousins, Parenting Time, and Relationship their ability to meet their parental
Building and Community responsibilities of providing social,
friends, grandfathers, and god
Involvement. emotional, medical, educational and
fathers). financial assistance of their children.
"If the new American father
feels bewildered and even
defeated, let him take comfort ABCD Inc.
from the fact that whatever he
does in any fathering situation
has a fifty percent chance of 1070 Park Avenue
being right." Bridgeport, Connecticut 06606
-- Bill Cosby
Phone: (203) 366-8142
E-mail: cmoore@abcd.org
ABCD, Inc.
(203) 366-8241 ext. 267 or 272

2. FACT Group -- Fathers Are Concerned Too
• Father-child interaction has been shown Where Have All The Fathers
What Statistics says about to promote a child's physical well-being, Gone?
the influence of fathers. perceptual abilities, and competency for
relatedness with others, even at a young
age. Never underestimate the power
• Children in father-absent homes are five of your presence Dad.
• A survey of over 20,000 parents found
times more likely to be poor.
that when fathers are involved in their
• The U.S. Department of Health and
children's education including attending Know that parent rejection is
Human Services states, "Fatherless
school meetings and volunteering at
children are at a dramatically greater risk often part of the development
school, children were more likely to get
of drug and alcohol abuse." process of young children.
A's, enjoy school, and participate in
• Fatherless children are twice as likely to
extracurricular activities and less likely to
drop out of school.
have repeated a grade.
• Adolescent females between the ages of
15 and 19 years reared in homes without "I cannot think of any
fathers are significantly more likely to Fathers will increase their need in childhood as
engage in premarital sex than adolescent effectiveness as parent by:
females reared in homes with both a
strong as the need for a
mother and a father. • Increasing their knowledge of child father's protection."
• Father involvement makes a difference development. -- Sigmund Freud
in kids’ emotional lives. • Improve their ability to provide financial
• Children with involved fathers have less and other resources to their children and
emotional and behavioral difficulties in families.
adolescence. • Increase father involvement in the lives
• Teenagers who feel close to their fathers of their children.
in adolescence go on to have more • Paternity establishment.
satisfactory adult marital relationships. • Re-establishment of linkages with
• Girls who have a strong relationship with children
their fathers during adolescence showed a • Active participation in Head Start
lack of psychological distress in adult life. Programs and family partnership process. ABCD, Inc.
(203) 366-8241 ext. 267 or 272