Introductory presentation for the Father-Daughter Summit, addressing the need, giving a brief outline of the event, and sharing results of this one-day conference for teen-adult daughters and their fathers.

1. The Need
Never before has a daughter so
needed her fathers’ acceptance,
attention, and affirmation.
At a surprisingly young age,
girls begin to respond to
society’s expectations.
They become vulnerable to the
popular messages that focus
primarily on their bodies, their
appearance and their
independence.

2. Leading research has clearly identified the dilemmas associated with
daughters who lack a father’s healing presence:
“The lack of constructive interaction with
a loving, attentive father results in apprehension and inadequate
skills in a daughter when she relates to males.”
Marshall Hamilton, Ph.D.
Women without fathers are more likely to have a child before the
age of eighteen, be promiscuous, and less likely to commit to
long-term relationships.
Journal of Marriage and Family
A University of Arizona study found that 90% of teen girls are
unhappy with their weight and daughters experience
“father hunger” when they are
not affirmed by their fathers.
Joan Borysenko, Ph.D.

3. The Challenge
The research demonstrates that fathers influence their daughters in
profound ways.
Fathers often fail to realize the importance of their interactions and
their role as a dad, especially as girls move into adolescence.
Frequently fathers find themselves distancing themselves from their
daughters as they navigate through the changing dynamics of
adolescence. Communication becomes difficult and issues more
complicated.
Unfortunately, this occurs at a time when daughters most need their
fathers to be an even greater positive presence in their lives.

4. Fathers Changing the World…
Fathers must make a radical
commitment to express the value
of their daughters to the world.
This bold step will rebuild the core
of family life and much more.
It will require dads to
acknowledge their need for new
skills in fathering and compel
them to take a huge step of faith
that will ultimately lead them to
maintain the relationship of
openness, affirmation and
acceptance their daughters so
desperately need.

5. …One Daughter at a Time
To help fathers and daughters (ages 11 and older) strengthen, or in
many cases initiate or rediscover, their uniquely beneficial relationship,
the National Center for Fathering has developed a one-day event called
the Father-Daughter Summit. The event is open to father-daughter
pairs including stepfathers, uncles, and father figures.
Attendees participate in a highly interactive seven-session program.
The Summit is designed to guide fathers and daughters through a
series of exercises and learning experiences that teach basic principles
about the relationships between dads and daughters while also helping
each participant to search their own hearts for issues that must be
addressed in order to successfully reach the relational summit.
The rubber meets the road during two one-on-one dialogues that allow
fathers and daughters to open conversation on areas that strengthen
and create barriers to their relationship.

6. What a Difference a Day Can Make!
35%
Prior to the event, daughters were surveyed and 35% were
very satisfied to extremely satisfied with their relationship
with their father.

7. 83%
Six weeks after the event, 83% of these same daughters
were now very satisfied to extremely satisfied
with their relationship with their father!

8. Life-Changing Impact
We realized how we have hurt each other, failed, and limited our
responses to worldly interaction. With what we have learned, we
have taken a new direction of openness, humility, and prayerful
consideration of how the Lord wants us to glorify Him in our roles as
father and daughter. I have been able to reconcile some issues with
my father and communicate what we learned to my wife, so the effect
is multiplying. For all this I am very grateful to you and the Lord.
-- David, Austin, TX
I'm glad I came because I know that we will have a stronger
relationship with my father and know how to work through our
problems; we will also be stronger individuals. There has been
amazing healing!!! I pray for you all that you will reach more because
it will change the world!!!
-- 20 year old daughter, Nashville, TN

9. National Contact: Lucy Bloom
Director, Father-Daughter Summit
National Center for Fathering
913.378.1038
summit@fathers.com
www.fathers.com/summit