Hispanic Fathers and Family Literacy: Strengthening Achievement in Hispanic Communities

124 Pages·2000·7 MB·English

by  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation

Hispanic Fathers and Family Literacy
© US Department of Health and Human Services
CM
o
Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
o
X
National Practitioners Network for Fathers and Families

Hispanic Fathers and Family
Strengthening
Literacy:
Achievement Hispanic
in
Communities
A report on a dialogue with community providers
of services for Hispanic fathers, national Hispanic
organizations, literacy programs and advocates
for fatherhood
January 2000
13,
This report was prepared by:
Vanessa Bernal
Lisa A. Gilmore
Linda Mellgren
Jackie Melendez
Carmen Seleme-McDermott
Laura Vazquez
This report was prepared by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities for the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and
Evaluation, under a cooperative agreement with the Office of Minority Health, DHHS.
Additional support for the project was provided by the National Practitioners Network for
Fathers and Families through a grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The views expressed
in this report are those of the meeting participants and the report authors and do not necessarily
reflect the views of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Hispanic Association of
Colleges and Universities, or the National Practitioners Network for Fathers and Families. Infor-
mation on nonfederal agencies and resources are provided for the readers convenience and do
not imply any endorsement by HHS, HACU or NPNFF.

Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Purpose of this Report 1
Educational Achievement: A Key Concern for Hispanic Communities
by Carmen Seleme-McDermott 3
Programs for Hispanic Fathers: Perspective from Research
by Laura Vazquez 7
Learning From our Partners: A Summary of the Dialogue
by Lisa A. Gilmore, Linda Mellgren and Laura Vazquez 13
Continuing the Dialogue 21
Dialogue Participants 23
Program Partners 25
Federal Partners 29
Resource Directory for Serving Hispanic Fathers and Families 35
Appendix A: The Hispanic Population in the United States (Census Report) 57
Appendix B: Involving Hispanic Parents (Eric Digests) 65
Appendix C: The Importance of Fathers in Educational Achievement (NCES Briefs) 103

Hispanic Tattlers and Family Literacy
Foreword
Improving parents' involvement in their in promoting educational achievement for
children's lives, including strengthening and themselves, their children, and their families.
supporting fathers, is something that the U.S. To begin a dialogue on this issue, we
Department of Health and Human Services
hosteda meetingonJanuary 13,2000inWash-
(HHS)worksoneveryday. Itisalsosomething ington, DC with representatives from
aboutwhich PresidentClintonandVice Presi-
community-basedprograms serving Hispanic
dent Gore have consistently challenged us to
fathersandfamilies,nationalandregionalHis-
do more. On June 16, 1995, President Clinton
panicorganizations,andfatherhoodprograms.
issued a memorandum encouraging federal We explored two questions: How do we help
agencies to reach outtofathers and to support
Hispanic fathers help their children succeed?
fathers' positive involvement in the lives of And how do we help Hispanic fathers and
their children and families. Since that time, families to meet their own literacy and educa-
HHS has initiated a series of conferences and tional needs? We began to identify strategies
partnership meetings to share lessons learned
and to build the partnerships necessary to
and innovative ideas aboutserving fathers. In
make those strategies work. Our aim for this
addition, we have changed the way we view
and serve fathers. We have incorporated report is to capture the excitement and enthu-
siasm of the dialogue participants and to
fatherhood activities in welfare reform, child
facilitate our ongoing efforts to enhance
support, Head Start, and teen pregnancy pre-
Hispanic fathers' contributions to their
vention. Furthermore, we have expanded our
children's education achievement and to their
researchtoincludetheperspectivesofmenand
family'sliteracyandeducationaladvancement.
fathers. The Department's vision for strength-
ening fatherhood goes beyond financial To succeed in strengthening educational
support. It also includes supporting efforts to achievementinHispaniccommunities,wewill
get fathers emotionally involved in the lives need to build many more bridges to enable us
of their children. to forge collaborations among families,
programs,communities,andgovernmentsand
Throughourfatherhoodinitiativeand our
to transcend differences in race, gender,
actionagenda with Hispaniccommunities,we
politics, and class. Whether your primary area
have made a commitment to strengthening
ofinterestis literacy, poverty, health, orchild-
Hispanic families and communities. One as-
hood development, we ask that you join with
pect of this commitment includes identifying
usand our partners to supportand strengthen
ways to support and strengthen the roles of
the contributions that Hispanic fathers can
Hispanic fathers in their families and commu-
make in promoting the educational achieve-
nities. ThroughourconversationswithinHHS
ment of their children, the economic security
and with outside experts, one issue emerged
of their family, and the stability and safety of
as a strong area of common interest: empow-
their communities.
ering Hispanic fathers to have a stronger role
Kevin Thurm
Deputy Secretary, HHS
December, 2000
Strengthening Achievment in Hispanic Communities

Hispanic Fatliers and Family Literacy
Acknowledgments
There are many individuals and organi- LauraVazquezandLibradaEstrada,Con-
zations who played an important role in the gressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Fellows,
development and the implementation of the who worked tirelessly to design and organize
January13,2000dialogueandthisreport. From this meeting and for Ms.Vazquez' special
beginning to end, it has been a collaborative contribution to this report.
process. Many thanks are extended to:
Lisa A. Gilmore, Special Assistant to the
Jerry Tello, National Latino Fatherhood Deputy Secretary, HHS and Linda Mellgren,
and Family Institute and Patricia Montoya, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning
Commissioner, Administration for Children, andEvaluation, HHSwhowereresponsiblefor
Youth and Families (ACYF), Administration coordinating the overall effort.
for Children and Families (ACF), HHS, for The members of the HHS Hispanic
their advice, support and able facilitation of
AgendaforAction/FatherhoodInitiativesteer-
the meeting.
ingcommitteewhodiligentlymettodetermine
Dr. Antonio R. Flores, Presidentand CEO the focus of meeting and to identify potential
of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and partners within and outside the government.
Universities (HACU), Dr. StevenArvizu,Presi- Steering Committee participants included:
dent of Oxnard University and Chair of the Cecilia Casale and DeLoris Hunter, Substance
HACU Governing Board, and the members of Abuse and Mental Health Services Adminis-
HACU
the Governing Board for their contin- tration;JackCorrigan,JohnPride, and Delores
ued support in encouraging the role of Terrazas, Head Start Bureau/ACYF/ACF;
Hispanic fathers in the education of their Frank Fuentes, Velma Guinn, JamesSharman,
children. and David Siegel, Office of Child Support En-
forcement, ACF; Chris Howe and Mel
Dr. Gumecindo Salas, Carmen Seleme-
Schmerler,HealthCareand FinancingAdmin-
McDermott, Jackie Melendez and Vanessa
BernalfromHACUfor theirhard workinpro- istration; Marissa Huttinger, Office of Family
Assistance/ACF; Carl Montoya, ACYF/ACF;
vidingthelogisticalarrangements formeeting
GuadalupePacheco, OfficeofMinorityHealth,
participants and for contributing to the writ-
OS; RobertVelasco,OfficeoftheSecretary;and
ing and publishing this report.
Jorge Velazquez, ACF.
PrestonGarrison,ExecutiveDirectorofthe
Sarita Brown, Deborah A. Santigo and Ri-
NationalPractitionersNetworkforFathersand
chard Toscano, of the White House Initiative
Families, and the Annie E. Casey Foundation
onEducationalExcellenceforHispanic Ameri-
for providing financial support for commu-
cans for keeping us informed and up-to-date
nity-basedprograms toattend themeetingand
onrelatedactivitiesandevents. AndtoMichael
for distribution of the report.
Lopez, ACYF/ACF for information on
National Association of Bilingual Education
conference events.
Strengthening Achievment in Hispanic Communities