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Dear John,
As we celebrate fathers today, we are inspired by the real and lasting impact that the love and support of parents have on their children’s present and future success. Parents like Clinton.
While Clinton’s journey as a father began at the young age of 15, it was his own father’s unwavering love and support that helped him overcome the many challenges of being a young Black father and inspired Clinton’s life work of advocating for fathers like himself.
Across the country, systemic racism leaves countless Black fathers facing challenges that make building the foundations for being a parent difficult, from discriminatory access to housing, employment and health services to our unjust criminal justice system and mass incarceration. The reality is that these barriers contribute to the isolation of new parents and make it hard for young Black fathers to feel empowered in their important role as their child's first and best teacher.
Overwhelming evidence demonstrates that a parent’s involvement in the earliest years of a child’s life has a profound and positive impact on their development and lifelong success – regardless of race or ZIP code. Research also shows that parental engagement from the father promotes a child’s emotional well-being, positive behavior and success in school. |
| Clinton, now a Postdoctoral Associate at Duke University and father of two, leads a passionate career addressing systemic racism and ensuring fathers are empowered and seen as assets to their children, families, and communities. He credits his own dad for his personal and professional accomplishments. |
| “From when I can remember, my father has been there serving in the capacity as a nurturer and a caregiver. Many of the qualities that he poured into me as a child have informed how I show up for my own kids,” Clinton shares. |
Clinton’s story supports why our work at Start Early is grounded in supporting and nurturing the attachments between children and adults, including fathers, to impact children’s present and future well-being.
Home visiting and early learning programs, like Start Early’s Educare Chicago school, engage fathers in different activities in their program to partner and collaborate with them throughout their children's development and learning journey.
Through the generosity of donors like you, our programs and services help fathers from under-resourced communities support their children's earliest learning. Please give today and make a lasting impact on the life of a child and their family. |
Sincerely,
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