European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 19, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Capitalizing on a program called dad by Sally Johnson the new York times j Igor Stearns 25, was ready for a new life when he joined the dads program at the add i son county parc n to child Cente r in Middlebury it. He liked the idea of a Job that would get him off the family farm. He wanted to make friends to replace the drinking buddies of his Rowdy teen age years. But when he was told the program would require him to spend a half Day each week taking care of children at the Center Stearns a divorced father of two hesitated. Now two months after starting the program Stearns has had a change of attitude. A there arc no Guys around so i guess i can say it a he said with a shy smile after sneaking a look around the centers lunchroom to Check for eavesdroppers. A what i like Best is working with the tiny ones the newborns. I like to hold them. That a the Best time of the  dads for diapers autos daughters and sons was added to the family services centers curriculum four years ago because of a  staff workers that a a parents was coming to mean exclusively  it is the same perception that is driving a National movement to involve Young fathers a most of them divorced or Tiore commonly single a in the lives of their Young children in some capacity beyond just paying child support. Until social institutions recognize the importance of fathers advocates for these so called Malc involvement programs say there will be no important Progress in efforts like the Clinton administrations proposed revamping of the welfare system or in reducing teen age pregnancies. Dads is one of 14 fathers programs around the country described in getting men involved strategies for Early childhood programs Scholastic inca handbook compiled by the fatherhood project of the families and work Institute of new York City the handbook is used As a text for a new National training network organized by the Institute began this Spring. The goals of the network Are to teach so Cial service workers How to recruit Young fathers for Early childhood programs to overcome mothers and social workers resistance to male involvement and to design programs that will give teen age fathers both Job and child rearing skills a in Short to teach them to be More a father  de Pitt a research associate who helped coordinate the training network estimated that a couple of Hundred programs exist around the country to help Young fathers become Good parents. Some programs he said Are As much As 10 years old hut most have been created recently. The programs vary widely by geography and demography. At the club in Boston professional men serve As mentors to Low income men 18 to 25 at dad and me in White Bear Lake Minn tuesday evenings Are set aside As father child playtime. At the positive male role program in Hattiesburg miss., men Are recruited to spend time with children in the head Start program. From that diversity common themes Are sounded Over and Over. One commonality is that what the men often want is a Job. Without a Job they have no Money without Money they often Are denied Access to their children. To break that Cycle the dads program in Middlebury offered the participants jobs cleaning the exteriors and interiors of cars through dads detailing a Small business operated out of a local garage. They earn a stipend of $1 an hour which is not deducted from other benefits like food Stamps. A Job training is essential a Pitt said. A often the girl and the child or children arc living with her Pur. A 1 a. New York times Tiger steams and pals in the diapers autos daughters and sons dads program in Middlebury it. Cats who done to want the Man around unless he a got some Money to contribute. So he feels like he a got nothing to offer and does no to come  most father programs serve a clientele ranging from 18 to 25. That a because a a there a a real absence of services for men in their Early to mid-20s,�?� said John Sullivan director of the fathers program of episcopal Community services in Minneapolis. Pitt first hit on the idea of promoting More pare a Tal responsibility among Young fathers As far Back As the late 1970s, when he was creating health care programs for the National Urban league. A before the Advent of the birth control Pill Quot he said a it was assumed that Guys who got girls pregnant would a do the right thing a then the Pill came along in the Early 1970s, and people began to assume that pregnancy was the problem of the girl and her family. A do the right things went out the  when Pitt first proposed the notion that Young men should take responsibility for their behaviour he said the response among social workers was lukewarm at Best. A it was considered novel that we would identify Young malts As part of the solution a Pitt said a there was a lot of scepticism about it then As there is now. For them the big payoff is to get the woman to take the Pill and not get pregnant. They see getting involved with men As just a Little payoff. And that attitude just buys into a Low expectation about male behaviour and  the idea of organizing a National training network for social service groups to get men involved came from James Levine director of the fatherhood project. Last year he worked with an educator Dennis Murphy and an Urban anthropologist Sherrill Wil son to compile the getting men involved handbook. The intended participants Are Day care and head Start workers and educators. A they often done to know who the fathers Are and done to care a Pitt said. A but the kids coming to Day care Are talking about the men in their lives a a Boyfriend a father an Uncle. Those men Are  at the tuesday afternoon dads discussion group in Middlebury Dana Bedard who jives with his Fiancee their two daughters and her son talked about the father he never had. A my father Wasny to around much a he said. A the Wasny to a big part of my  around him Heads nodded in agreement. A i always wanted to be a big part of my kids lives a he continued. A in some ways i envy the Guys who done to care about their kids. They have a lot More Freedom. But then i think about what they re  As for the child care part of the dads program Engel said Stearns initially negative reaction was not unusual. A a lot of the Guys complain loudly about it at first a he said. A even though they re fathers most of them have never even changed a diaper. But the great majority end up Loving the childcare part because the kids arc so responsive to them. It makes them feel Good about  Stearns whose two preschool sons spend weekends with him has already put to use what he has Learned at the Center. A i Learned about putting the kids in a Corner when they re bad instead of hollering at them All the Lime Quot he said. A it works Best with my Little   on on she fatherhood project can be obtained by writing to the families and work Institute 330 seventh ave., new York , 10001. Pages sunday june 19, 1994