Home > The Importance of Fathers in the Healthy Development of Children > Fatherhood Programs > Stay-At-Home Dads

The Importance of Fathers in the Healthy Development of Children
User Manual Series (2006)

Author(s):  Office on Child Abuse and Neglect Rosenberg, Wilcox

Year Published:  2006

Email  Print  (PDF 1163 KB)  Share

Rate This    4.4/5, 17 Reviews

You are in section: Table of Contents Erratum Preface Acknowledgments 1 - Purpose and Overview 2 - Fathers…Children's Well-Being 3 - Fathers…Child Maltreatment 4 - Effective Fathering 5 - Fathers and Initial Assessment and Investigation 6 - Fathers and Case Planning 7 - Services for Fathers 8 - Fatherhood Programs 9 - Federal Fatherhood Initiatives Appendix A - Glossary of Terms Appendix B - Resource Listings Appendix C - State Telephone Numbers… Appendix D - Cultural Competence Self-Assessment… Appendix E - Tips for Dads Appendix F - Healthy Marriages

Stay-At-Home Dads
How to Start a Playgroup or Local Dad-to-Dad Chapter

Where do I start?

You may feel that you are the only at-home dad in your town or city, but it is estimated that there are two million at-home dads in the United States. In an average town of 20,000, there is a minimum of 10-20 dads who stay home with their children. Now it is time to find these dads.

So how do I find at-home dads in my local area?

• Make out an ad. Draw up an ad, something like: "At-home dad playgroup in formation for fathers who are primary caregivers for their children. This weekly playgroup will provide fun and support for you and your children. Please call John Doe at 555-1212 for more information."
  
  John W. placed this ad in his local suburban paper in Winnetka, Illinois. At first, he received five calls from this ad. In a letter updating his efforts, he writes, "Now, every Friday morning, six dads and their kids get together for coffee, support, and refereeing among our toddlers from 14 months to some terrible twos. Imagine—Bob, Tom, Pat, Andy, Palo, John and Burt—all from adjoining towns! I actually discovered another at-home dad from around the corner!" John also states, "The moral of this story is that daddy playgroups are just waiting to happen. Consider this: There are two million at-home dads while the total prison population is only 1.6 million. If we can better organize ourselves, then full-time parenting will seem a bit less like solitary confinement."
  
  
• Post the ad (above) or a simple flyer in the local library children's section. A library will usually permit you to do this.
  
  
• Call the local mothers' groups in town. They sometimes get calls form other dads looking to connect.
  
  
• Seek out other dads you may meet at the playground. They may also be at-home dads.
  
  
• Talk to your local paper. They may be interested in doing a story about your new group. In addition, a statewide paper may be interested in doing a story about your group, which may attract more members.
  
  
• Join the At-Home Dad Network. All paid subscribers can have their name and contact information listed in a hardcopy version of the quarterly newsletter, which is sent to 1,000 at-home dads across the country.
  
  

I found a few dads, where should we meet?

The best place is a neutral meeting place, such as an indoor/outdoor playground. Once you get to know each other you may want to keep it that way or to meet at each others' houses.

What do we do now?

Your group may be happy just meeting at the local playground or you may want to plan additional activities. Curtis Cooper planned weekly activities such as trips to the zoo, local restaurants with indoor playgrounds, or even to children's museums. You also could plan a day trip to a baseball game (kids permitting). You may want to seek out the local places in your area that may be of interest to your group.

What other activities can we do for the dads in our group?

One dad-to-dad activity started by Mr. Cooper was "Dad's Night Out." One night each month, the dads go out to a local restaurant or event. This gives the dads time to get to know each other while the kids are at home.

What can I do to keep my group organized?

The best way to keep your local events organized is to have a monthly newsletter or calendar, which can be mailed out to the members in your group. You can make a regular schedule of playgroup meetings, Dad's Nights Out, and special field trips, complete with dates and time. You also can add comments on what happened on recent events.

For more information, contact:

Curtis Cooper
Email: DadtoDad@aol.com
Peter Baylies
Email: Athomedad@aol.com
Web site: http://slowlane.com/connecting/starting_a_playgroup.html

Back to Examples of Fatherhood Programs

You are in section: Table of Contents Erratum Preface Acknowledgments 1 - Purpose and Overview 2 - Fathers…Children's Well-Being 3 - Fathers…Child Maltreatment 4 - Effective Fathering 5 - Fathers and Initial Assessment and Investigation 6 - Fathers and Case Planning 7 - Services for Fathers 8 - Fatherhood Programs 9 - Federal Fatherhood Initiatives Appendix A - Glossary of Terms Appendix B - Resource Listings Appendix C - State Telephone Numbers… Appendix D - Cultural Competence Self-Assessment… Appendix E - Tips for Dads Appendix F - Healthy Marriages

This material may be freely reproduced and distributed. However, when doing so, please credit Child Welfare Information Gateway.

Email  Print  (PDF 1163 KB)  Share

Updated on October 9, 2009