The problem: kids growing up without a father image
In Europe, especially in Hungary, children are less and less exposed to the image of men during their upbringing: neither due to the high 67% divorce rate at home nor due to the low participation of men in pedagogical jobs in kindergarten-school. This can also cause a rupture in children’s social and psychological development, according to research from several scientific disciplines
Get involved – but how?
Father-child encounters vary qualitatively and quantitatively: Fathers will once again have the opportunity – even if not as intensely as before, and this reduction in intensity is not necessarily harmful – to take a more active part in their children’s lives, thanks to the many opportunities that even post-industrial economy, even postmodern society and cultural transformation. It is worth taking advantage of these opportunities, but not only the amount of time spent together, but also its quality is very important, if not more important. The increase in the number of divorces and separations does not necessarily have to have a detrimental effect on the children, it is often more desirable to make the time spent together more intense than longer, but at the same time empty. We need to find common ground along which a family can be transformed into a collaborative and well-functioning community.
Increasingly, we are encountering communities, NGOs, and initiatives across Europe to help children grow up to be fathers. The clubs provide counseling, help, and events where fathers and their children can spend quality time with each other. Of course, these initiatives are not just for single-parent families, but also for two-parent families. The “Dads World” initiative and the innovative package of services developed by the Deszk Village Foundation for Folk Artwork to create such communities working in the Central European environment to facilitate father-son and father-child relationships.
Jógyakorlatok
The main issue of the project is how to expand the state-municipal family support care system in what form, with tools and services. What methods are most appropriate to achieve the elimination of prejudices about the use of family support services. How to create programs that arouse the interest and activity of fathers and their children and that promote the formation of strong families and the strengthening of active father-child and father-son relationships.
The result of the initiative is an innovative one: the creation of recommendations and methodological descriptions that provide information and practical guidance to stakeholders and practitioners on how to create fathers’ communities. Descriptions of good practices showcase successful local products and services and their development process, highlighting key success factors and lessons learned. For more information, visit the initiative page:
