Aboriginal father involvement programs

This includes programs such as the Men’s Luncheon at the Thunderbird Friendship Centre in Ontario, in which men attend a lunch once per month to meet other men and Elders, listen to a guest presenter, and learn about the health topic of the month. [...] Other programs include meals for fathers and children, such as the program in Tillicum Lelum, in which fathers prepare and share the meal in the company of their children before the children go into day-care and the men’s circle commences. [...] These foods are sent to the Head Start with the children, and then presented to the class by the Early Childhood Educator, who then recognizes in front of the class the contribution the child’s father or mother has made. [...] The majority of the programs contacted are community-driven initiatives and therefore each tends to cater specifically to the needs of the community. [...] Although we heard of a continuum of approaches and many of the tips we received seemed to contradict each other, the vast majority of respondents emphasized that the strength of culturally-relevant curricula or activities.