Rev. Steve Emmett and Joe Kelly sent out an email this week announcing that their nonprofit advocacy group, Dads and Daughters, is closing shop after ten years of frustrating and failed fundraising efforts.
Over the last ten years they've committed themselves to spreading the word about the importance of fathers (stepfathers, male influences etc.) in daughters' lives, encouraging a renewed commitment to engaged parenting on the part of men, and particularly targeting the media's often gross misrepresentation of girls and young women.
When I was writing Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters, I was really interested in the role that men play in influencing their daughters' body images, and Dads and Daughters was one of the only organizations that was looking at that issue as well.
Steve and Joe recommend these resources if you're looking to investigate the father-daughter dynamic in the future:
* Future of Fatherhood: DADs co-founder Joe Kelly's online & in-person resources for Dads, Daughters, and Professionals working with families.
* Campaign for Commercial-Free Childhood: coalition making the world safe and fair for all children by countering harmful effects of marketing to children.
* New Moon Girl Media: girl-run media, plus parenting resources and blog by former DADs executive Nancy Gruver.
* Girl Scout Research Institute: valuable research on the healthy development of girls.
Thanks to both of them--and all their partners--for doing this important work.
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It's really frustrating that programs like this fail when other programs like "Purity" balls thrive. My dad was my best friend when I was a kid. We'd go to the farm and he'd teach me how to take care of our animals and let me ride around on them and help him stack hay. I wish all girls could have the positive relationship I had with my dad, and none of it involved him asserting ownership over me or anything nuts like that.
I'm really sad to hear that an organization with such a positive goal is closing down.
I hope that they're mission of developing a healthy, open relationship between fathers and daughters is seen as important enough by others that they should start to pursue it.
it's sad to hear them go- it's been a lean year for all of us in the nonprofit sector, and it doesn't look like it's getting any better.
on a side note, you know how the youtube window gives you other videos? check out 'how to treat a girl' where this father talks about 'dating' his daughters and learning through that how to date his wife, since they're "less intimidating, cause, you know, usually your wife is mad at you".
I'm not sure that's what DAD was trying to achieve when they told you to get involved in your daughters' lives....
the dad with two daughter's girl on the rights face is priceless when her dad starts talking about them dating and "looking for men."
Also, what about girls without father figures in their lives?
I'm so sad about this. This is a great organization and very much needed.
I started watching the video before taking in the reason for the post. I got really excited that there's a group of people out there who want to help fathers and daughters bond positively.
Especially the 'fathers feel like a second-class parent'statement rings really true. And that's sad. Almost as bad as the fact that this organisation is closing down...
Sounds like it was a great org. Does anyone know if they advocated for the rights of fathers in child custody cases? That is one area in which I think the men's movement often has a valid grievance.
This makes me sad. I wish we heard more from organisations like this, and less from MRA groups whinging about their rights without really sounding like they want to exercise them.
My relationship with my father is beyond repair but as a child he was my primary caregiver and I appreciate all he did for me - he raised me as a child, not a delicate flower, he always used the word "vagina" and wouldn't let me be ashamed of women's sexual organs, he play fought with me and told me how I could do anything and encouraged me to fight The Man. lol He tried to have a big party for my first period, which sent me screaming from the room, but I appreciate the thought :D I was lucky in some respects.