Guiding Principles

Guiding Principles

We recognize that the individual and collective efforts of the members of the network are as diverse as the communities in which they are located. The common thread that pulls us all together is the understanding of, and desire for concerted action toward father involvement as a supportive condition of healthy child development and resiliency.

The following guiding principles will assist the network in setting priorities, developing partnerships and guiding decision-making.

Guiding Principle 1: Children First

• We acknowledge the well-being and healthy development of children as our primary consideration.
• We promote every child's right to have access to a father's and mother's positive involvement.
• We encourage positive communications between parents for the best benefit of the children, regardless of the family structure.

Guiding Principal 2: Importance of both parents

• We recognize the unique contributions and responsibility of both parents, and the advantage for children in having positive interaction with both parents regardless of the family structure.
• We recognize that a key component of being an involved father is the partnership and mutual support of both parents for the benefit of the children.
• We support and encourage communication between children's parents concerning the evolution of family dynamics.

Guiding Principal 3: Responsible father involvement

• We support fathers in developing personalized relationships with their children.
• We support fathers in the expansion of their understanding of the many facets of their fathering role.
• we recognize that in addition to the biological father, other men may complement the fathering role.
• We support fathers in their initiation of and participation in open dialogue about the evolution of family dynamics.

Guiding Principal 4: Social Responsibility

• We promote the idea that children are everyone's collective responsibility.
• We work to increase awareness among men of the impact of their decisions on children in general as they assume their varied societal roles outside the family.
• We will advocate so that societal supports are there for any man who assumes the fathering role.
• We support and encourage open communication concerning the evolution of family dynamics.

Guiding Principal 5: Diversity

• We recognize the fact that fathers require unique support that addresses their unique needs and is not just a revision of strategies that are planned for mothers.
• We encourage the promotion of father involvement, taking into consideration cultural diversity, the different types of family structures and the sexual orientation of the father.

Guiding Principal 6: Empowerment

• We recognize the importance of valuing the varied dimensions of the father's role; and that facilitating active and responsible father involvement is preferable to compensating for an absent father.
• We encourage the participation and empowerment of the fathers at all steps of the mobilization process: from needs assessment to implementation and facilitation of activities.
• We encourage community development and social marketing approaches based on strengths, talents and capacities of the father and of the community, aiming to work with the fathers instead of for the fathers.
• We will foster training strategies for staff, volunteers and /or fathers that: build on new and existing knowledge, strengths and abilities; encourage a transfer of abilities; empower people to act for change.

Guiding Principal 7: Collaboration

• We will emphasize a multi-level and multi-systemic approach, based on inter-sectoral strategies as reflected in the Population Health Approach.

Guiding Principal 8: Sustainability

• We will explore current and potential sustainable practices and opportunities to support father involvement strategies and efforts.