Playing With Daddy: Social Toy Play, Early Head Start, and Developmental Outcomes

• Published in: Fathering (Harriman, Tenn.) Tenn.), 2004-12, Vol.2 (1), p.83-108
• Main Authors: Roggman, Lori A, Boyce, Lisa K, Cook, Gina A, Christiansen, Katie, Jones, DeAnn
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Child development; Child psychology; Child welfare; Cognition in children; Cognitive Development; Depression, Mental; Development; Early intervention; Education; Educational psychology; Emotions; Families & family life; Father and child; Households; Human relations; Infants; Interpersonal communication; Males; Men; Parenting; Parents & parenting; Personal relationships; Preschool education; Psychology; Social services; Young Children
• ISSN: 1537-6680; 1933-026X
• DOI: 10.3149/fth.0201.83

The complexity of father-toddler social toy play was greater for fathers from families enrolled in this EHS program that targeted fathers and play than for fathers in the comparison group. Although fathers were not randomly assigned to these groups, their families were, and the indication of a positive, albeit moderate, impact of family enrollment in this EHS program on father-toddler play interactions is important to note. Although other EHS programs might not affect fathering if they do not directly target fathers, this particular EHS program had targeted fathers for intervention efforts from the inception of the program. Program staff, as they began planning the program structure and design, expected that many fathers would be present in the lives of the infants and toddlers because of the high marriage rate in the local region. High father presence in local low-income families guided program staff to plan program strategies to involve fathers as a valuable resource for supporting children's early development. Fathers were invited to group activities, and home visits were scheduled, when possible, when fathers would be home. Despite these program efforts to involve fathers, however, this program, like other home-visiting programs, met with only moderate success, and not all fathers were present for home visits or in regular attendance at group activities (Peterson & Luze, 2002; [Roggman, L.A.], [Boyce, L.K.], Cook, & Cook, 2002). There were, nevertheless, other strategies this EHS program implemented to influence fathers. Fathers may have taken advantage of several other opportunities offered by the EHS program, such as special events and parties planned especially for fathers and families, family referrals to community resources, information provided to mothers, or written materials sent directly to fathers at home. These opportunities may have had direct or indirect effects on fathers that promoted positive social toy play with their toddlers.