MPS Focus on Fathers Initiative

Educating a child starts at home.  Teachers and other educational professionals can only usher a student beyond a point where the parents have set the foundation.  Of all the social problems facing America today, the widespread absence of fathers from the lives of children is by far the most socially considerable and costly problem. The cumulative costs of father absence directly associated with criminal justice, remedial education, family courts, and numerous family services account for a huge portion of city budgets, resulting in dramatically higher taxes, urban flight, and other problems. The goal of this intiative is to engage more fathers within MPS students’ academic lives.  

Research shows that when a child is raised in a father-­absent home:

• Children are more likely to have behavioral problems 

• More likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, 

• Two times more likely to suffer obesity, and

• Two times more likely to drop out of high school  

However, equipping fathers with better resources and information will better prepare these men to embrace the challenges of educating their children and become a fixture in their lives.  The results from recent studies have indicated that children with more involved fathers experienced fewer behavioral problems and scored higher on reading achievement. 

The new MPS Focus on Fathers Initiative is a collaborative effort with the City of Milwaukee and other community based organizations to reduce the barriers for fathers taking a more active roles in their students’ lives.   In addition to the annual Fatherhood Forum, MPS plans to continue fatherhood-based events at schools including the Daddy-Daughter Dance and fatherhood-based groups throughout the district.  MPS strongly believes, fathers who have their needs met are better able to take on leadership roles in schools and provide a positive male presence for students.