Press Kit 
Kids Need Championship Fathers |
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Date Posted: Wednesday, 04 June 2008 |
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For immediate release Contact: Peter Spokes
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – All across America on Sunday, June 15, millions of children and fathers will celebrate Father’s Day. Unfortunately, millions more will miss out on this special celebration, says Carey Casey, CEO of the National Center for Fathering. “I vividly remember the day a few years ago when a young girl without a dad in her life called out to my wife and me as we left church in the Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago with our young children,” Casey said. “She said to us, ‘One day, when I grow up, I’m going to have a family like y’all’s.’” Casey, a father of four, believes that girl was obviously missing out on much more than one Father’s Day celebration. The impact of fatherlessness is devastating every day for children without dads and for society as a whole, he says. On average, almost half the children in American classrooms live in a home without a father, according to the National Center of Education Statistics. According to various research on file at the National Center for Fathering, these children are five times more likely to live in poverty and have triple the teen pregnancy rate. These children also have higher rates of substance abuse, criminal activity, school dropout, depression and suicide. “At the National Center for Fathering, we believe that men who take fatherhood seriously are best equipped to turn this tide,” Casey said. Thus, the Center has launched Championship Fathering, which calls on fathers to involve themselves more deeply in their own children’s lives, to encourage other children and to enlist other fathers. Based on extensive research, Championship Fathering calls on fathers to love their children, to coach them by teaching them how to grow into responsible adults and to model for them by being responsible adults. Championship Fathering also challenges dads to encourage unfathered children and to enlist other dads – at work, church, school or anywhere else – to embrace Championship Fathering so that the culture of responsible fathering will grow exponentially. “If just 10 percent of American fathers made this commitment, that could equal a line of 6.5 million men – standing shoulder to shoulder – from Boston to San Diego,” Casey said. “That would be impressive, but more important would be the benefits to children. Indeed, we expect to see a cultural shift that would benefit all Americans. “On this Father’s Day, we hope this vision of a new, stronger culture of Championship Fathering challenges and inspires every dad. We encourage every father to join the coast-to-coast line at www.fathers.com/cf,” he said. - # - |
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