The DadTalk blog features insights from dads and Responsible Fatherhood practitioners from around the country. Its goal is to start conversations about important issues surrounding fatherhood and programs for fathers today.
Mario Renteria started with Project Padres at Imperial Valley Regional Occupational Program in El Centro, CA, as a participant in 2012. Like many participants, he was unemployed, separated from his spouse, and at a crossroads. Mario wanted to…
Divorce doesn’t have to be the end of a father’s relationship with his children. A father can be a constant parental figure, even if he doesn’t reside in the same household. No matter the circumstance of a separation or divorce, successful coparenting can give children a sense of normalcy. Children need both of their parents, and research shows that a loving and nurturing father improves outcomes for…
As we approach the holiday season, many families are concerned about navigating family gatherings within the reality of our new normal. You may have relatives or friends who are not vaccinated and refuse to wear a mask or social distance. This may be a heightened concern for parents with children too young to be vaccinated. If you plan to get together for a holiday gathering, your family/group will need to decide if people are going to be invited if they won’t comply with the group’s parameters.
Do we give up family traditions and cancel the holiday gatherings again this year? Is…
This is the second of a two-part series on Gig Work. In our previous post, we answered the question, “What is the Gig Economy?” discussed common examples and the pros and cons of gig work. In this edition, we’ll get down to the business side of things.
As we discussed previously, the gig economy is based on flexible, temporary, or freelance jobs, often involving an online platform. Gig work can be a great way to supplement income, try out a business idea, or…
From 2002 to 2014, while total employment increased 7.5 percent, gig economy workers increased by between 9.4 percent and 15.0 percent, depending on the definition of gig economy workers.
-The Aspen Institute’s Future of Work Initiative
America is well on its way to establishing a Gig Economy, and estimates show as much as a third of the working population was already working in some gig capacity pre-COVID. It’s estimated the numbers are even higher now. In a…
I, along with my team at the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse, are saddened to announce the passing of our colleague and friend, Halbert Sullivan. Halbert made a notable impact in the work of Responsible Fatherhood (RF), most recently as the CEO of Fathers & Families Support Center (FFSC), and will be greatly missed.
As noted by Seth Chamberlain, Division Director, Office of Family Assistance, “Halbert wasn’t just a grantee in multiple RF cohorts. The federal Parents and Children Together evaluated his program and found it had strong, positive impact on…
When people think of breast cancer, most often women come to mind. However, men also get breast cancer. For men, the lifetime risk of getting breast cancer is about 1 in 833.The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that in 2020, about 2,620 men will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer—breast cancers that have spread into surrounding breast tissue—and about 520 men will die from breast cancer. While that percentage is small compared to women who suffer from breast cancer, it is still a real…
My parents were teenagers when they had me. An only child, I grew up feeling like I was a mistake because of the stories I heard. Neither of my parents had the skills, knowledge, or wherewithal to parent successfully. They could not provide the parental, economic, or household stability a child needs to flourish. Nonetheless, my mother, despite her age, the damage she survived, and lack of resources, did her best. My father’s story was different. He was incarcerated on and off from the time he was a juvenile. By the time I was born, he had already developed an addiction to alcohol and…
Summer is winding down, which normally is a time for parents when kids are wrapping up summer activities such as vacations, camps, and outings and preparing for the new school year. However, you and the kids have been home since March. You may be feeling overloaded because you have been trying to balance work, home life, childcare, and homeschooling--all while navigating the added stress and anxiety of this “new normal” and uncertain future. It’s understandable if you may be feeling a bit burned out, and don’t worry, you most certainly are not alone! In a…
I’m often asked how I balance life and family since I am a work-from-home dad. The truth is, it isn’t always easy. I never imagined a day would come when my role as a provider for my family would put a strain on the perceptions I have regarding what it means for me to be a good father. Growing up, being a responsible father had a singular, clear-cut definition--the unspoken expectation that being a provider and being a good dad were the same thing. This is no longer my definition of a good dad.
The “bread-winner only dad” perception was challenged for me in November 2013. While…
When I was a child, I resented the fact that I didn’t know who my father was and that he wasn’t in my life. My mother and father had gone their separate ways before I was even born. What made things even harder as a child was that my mother could only share limited details about who my father was with me. In fact, the only information I ever knew was that his last name was Graham, that he was African American, a veteran, and very tall.
In my 20’s, I began to realize that not knowing about my father was taking a toll on me, and I felt a strong sense that it was time to look for…