This document summarizes a presentation given by two stay-at-home dads, Chris Singer and MC Rothhorn, about how to better engage fathers in early childhood programs. They discuss common obstacles that discourage dad participation like work obligations and a lack of knowledge. The presentation provides tips for making programs more dad-friendly through activities, marketing, and partnering with other organizations. It also outlines current efforts like partnering with an expectant parent organization to facilitate dad-focused birthing classes.

1. Reaching Out to New Dads
Chris Singer MC Rothhorn
Stay At Home Dads & Parent Representatives for Ingham Great Start Collaborative

2. My Daddy Story: MC Rothhorn
• Before having Kata in 2002, had
talked with partner that I would
stay at home ~ 2006.
• Mori born in 2004. MC bread
winner until 2006.
• Great start parent and learning
father full-time since then.

3. My Daddy Story: Chris Singer
• First time father – started out
scared out of his wits
• Freelance writer & blogger
http://www.easybabylife.com/chris-singer.html
http://sahdinlansing.com
• Website & Social Media Consultant
http://harambeeconsulting.com

4. Objectives
1.) Understand ways to determine if your program is
dad-friendly.
2.) Learn what motivates some dads to participate in
a program.
3.) Learn practical ways to find new dads and better
promote and publicize your programs and services.

5. Our assumptions:
1.) We don’t have all the answers for every dad. Dads
are single, divorced, gay, widowed, stay at home (by
choice or not), work from home, etc…
2.) If you’re here today – it’s because you want to be
here! It’s also why we are here as well. Feel free to
ask questions as we go along. We want you to be part
of the conversation.
3.) No dads have ever attended an expectant
parenting class that treats dads as equal partners in
the birth.

6. Is 2010 the “Year of the Daddy?”
• Saints QB Drew Brees and his 1
year old son Baylen
• President Obama putting a serious
focus on fatherhood
• Great variety and quality of ‘daddy
blogs’
• Stay at home dads are more
common and more accepted than
ever.

7. Why new dads?
National Fatherhood Initiative Study called: “Pop’s
Culture: National Survey of Dad’s Attitudes on
Fathering”
• Findings:
• 80% of new dads lack significant experience with a baby 6
months or younger
• 60% of these men have either a negative or non-existent
model for their own father
• Dads feel unprepared for fatherhood (just under ½ agreed
& just under ¾ strongly agreed)
• Fathers feel replaceable (majority agreed)
• Identified 6 major obstacles to being a good father

8. Six obstacles identified by dads:
• WORK OBLIGATIONS
• MEDIA/POPULAR CULTURE
• FINANCIAL PROBLEMS
• LACK OF KNOWLEDGE
• CHILD’S MOTHER
• LACK OF PARENTING RESOURCES

9. What motivates dads to participate?
• Feeling welcome
• Feeling valued
• Non-punitive & non-judgmental
• Convenience of location & time
• Wife/partner/friends
• What else???

10. Is your program dad-friendly?
• What are you offering and how does it fit
with what dads want – to feel prepared,
equipped and irreplaceable.
• Marketing materials – Men perceive
“parenting” as “for moms”
• Do you have male facilitators?
• Do you solicit comments/ideas from past
male participants?
• How do you structure activities? Are they
active and hands-on.

11. Where are the dads? Promote to:
• Gyms
• Barbershops
• Athletic facilities
• Diners/restaurants
• Churches
• Schools
• Partner with other organizations:
• Head Start
• Hospitals
• Parks & Recreation
• Social Media
• Facebook
• Twitter

12. Our current efforts…
We approached the Expectant
Parent Organization where Chris
& his wife took birth classes.
www.epobaby.org
• Their responsiveness blew us away.
• Set up a meeting to discuss our ideas.
• They immediately invited us to partner with them to facilitate
a dads component for their new infant birthing classes.
• April/May will be the first classes.

13. Any questions, comments?
Thank you for coming to our workshop!

14. Feel free to contact us:
Chris Singer MC Rothhorn
• E-mail: chrisrsinger@gmail.com • E-mail:
• Blog: http://sahdinlansing.com inghamGSCparents@yahoo.com
Ingham Great Start Collaborative Birth To Five
http://www.cacvoices.org/organizations/birthtofive
www.migreatparents.org