By Dr. Deborah Bergeron
On a typical day, Rylan is sitting at a low table in a little chair and surrounded by friends. The table has a bucket of thick, age-appropriate crayons. His teacher gives Rylan and the other children some paper and instructions about the writing assignment for the day.
This day isn't typical.
Now, Rylan is at a high table at home, seated in his father's lap. He's holding a skinny pencil to write on a sheet of construction paper. His gaze is intense, focused directly on his work. Rylan's father peeks over the boy's shoulder, arm outstretched and ready to guide his son at any point.
It's a picture like this one that makes my heart soar. As the director of the Office of Head Start, an early childhood program serving over 1 million vulnerable children birth to age 5 each year, photos of children come into my email box regularly. It's the best perk of the job. When I opened this one, though, it really made me think.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused the majority of Head Start and Early Head Start centers to close, along with schools and child care centers. Today, many parents, like Rylan's father, are directing learning in kitchens and living rooms across the country. And it's a reminder about how crucial dads are in a child's life. Of course, moms and other family members are also involved, but it's Father's Day so I am focusing on the value of a dad in a child's life.
At Head Start, we know parents are a child's first and most important teacher. Our programs create opportunities for dads—specifically—to participate in their infant, toddler, or preschooler's experiences. But we have a special opportunity right now to engage dads in an even more intentional way.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has fully supported Head Start programs through the COVID-19 pandemic. While many sites have closed, all Head Start programs (and in turn staff) have been fully funded. This ensures both that parents like Rylan's have the support they need and that programs are kept intact so they can resume services fully as it is safe to do so. Moreover, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provided $750 million help Head Start programs respond to family and community needs due to COVID-19.
Right now, if Head Start sites are closed, their teachers are sending learning activities for children to their home, through a laptop, a phone, or a front porch drop. To support their child's learning needs, parents like Rylan's will sit down and work with them. This is an opportunity for all parents, and dads in particular, to engage with their children in a way that may not have been available before. When life is busy, it's hard to find time to sit down with patience and do challenging tasks. When programs are in session, teachers may not send home detailed assignments supporting parents to facilitate explicit teaching.
I hope we can take some time this Father's Day to notice and thank the fathers who are sitting at kitchen tables, with their toddler or preschooler on their lap, participating in the learning process up close. They are seeing their children engage and grow and thrive, and playing a major role in what is usually facilitated outside of the home. The dads you thank might not be your own, but someone around you working hard to support his child.
Eventually, typical life will resume. Dad will go back to work. Rylan will return to Head Start. I know he can't wait to see his teacher and his friends, and his teacher is just as eager to see him! I hope Rylan's dad will always remember the power of this moment. He's already playing an incredible role in his child's healthy development. When a family embraces lifelong learning, there's a long road of opportunity ahead.
Dr. Deborah Bergeron is the Director of the Office of Head Start. This blog was first published on the ACF Family Room blog.