Showing Up Matters: Fathers Helping Children Grow from the Start
Showing Up Matters: Fathers Helping Children Grow from the Start
A child’s first teachers aren’t found in a classroom. They’re often the parents and caregivers beside them from their very first days, helping them explore the world, build confidence and discover what they’re capable of.
At Children’s Home Society of Florida, our Ready to Grow work recognizes the powerful role parents play from the very beginning. We partner with families to build on their strengths and help parents and caregivers feel equipped to support their children as they learn and grow.
That means intentionally creating space for fathers and father figures, too.
At OCPS Academic Center for Excellence, A Community Partnership School, the Muffins with Men Fatherhood Program brings fathers and father figures together with their children to strengthen those connections.
Families across grade levels have come together for meaningful conversations, hands-on activities and something that can be just as important: dedicated time with one another. From conversations about health and wellness to laughter over a game of Operation, the activities may seem simple. But they reinforce a powerful idea: showing up matters.
A game becomes an opportunity to problem-solve together. A conversation becomes an opportunity to listen. Shared time becomes an opportunity for a child to know there is someone in their corner, encouraging them as they learn, grow and imagine their future.
That’s why father engagement is about more than attending an event. It’s about strengthening the relationships that surround a child and recognizing fathers and father figures as important partners in their children’s growth.
Through Ready to Grow and our broader cradle-to-career approach, CHS is helping parents build on what they already bring to their children’s lives: love, knowledge, experience and the desire to see them succeed.
Because, when fathers and father figures have opportunities to connect, engage and show up for their children, even the smallest moments together can help build a stronger foundation for what comes next.
