Mission Statement

Takes a Man to be a Dad is a Rotary Project committed to reducing the rate of infant mortality by raising public awareness of the personal and financial cost of the rampant breakdown of nurturing family structures in our community and to supporting actions that create healthy vibrant childhoods for all.

The Vision

The possibility of healthy, vibrant, joyful childhoods for all. The intention to have a community aware and in action, causing family structures that create foundations for wholeness and wellness.

Project Proposal

• Produce a social marketing campaign “Takes a Man to be a Dad” to raise awareness of the missing place of fathers in their children’s lives.
• Promote respecting and honoring the unique and necessary contributions of mothers and fathers.
• Inspire fathers, mothers and the community to create nurturing environments for children.
• Participate in and support existing fatherhood programs.

Things To Remember

When compared to other developed countries, the United States has dropped from 12th place in 1960 to 29th in 2004. In part, the decline can be attributed to an increase in pre-term births, between 2000 and 2005 pre-term births rose from 11.6% to 12.7%, infant deaths due to pre-maturity rose 5%.

Contributing factors to infant mortality include; lack of prenatal care, fetal alcohol syndrome, malnutrition, smoking, shaken baby, partner violence, child abuse and or neglect (rates are calculated per thousand).

• 14% of Holland Patent babies born were low birth weight
• 53.1% of Rome babies born were born out of wedlock, 38.9% in Yorkville
• 51.4% of Utica westside babies born were on Medicaid or had no insurance, the percent of the east side is 68.3%
• 12.8% of Chadwicks babies born had late or no prenatal care
• The teen pregnancy rate in NYM was 60.2
• 59 babies died in Oneida County during this time period
• 47.6% of Ilion babies were born out of wedlock
• 50% of babies born in Salisbury were on Medicaid or had no insurance
• 33.3% of Jordanville babies had late or no prenatal care
• The teen pregnancy rate in Herkimer is 78.4; the teen birth rate is 37.5
• The teen birth rate in Little Falls and Mohawk is 46.6 and 46.7
• 12 babies died in Herkimer County during this time period

According to the U.S. Census, over 25 million children live apart from their biological fathers, this is 1 out of every 3 children.

Absent fathers affect maternal and child health, child abuse, teen pregnancy, substance abuse, poverty, education, crime, incarceration and childhood obesity.

The annual cost to New York State taxpayers is $3.7 billion for (Medicaid, Justice system expense, forgone tax revenue, Child Welfare, TANF, Child Health Plus).

For sources for perinatel information please visit the New York States Kids Well-being Indicators Clearinghouse at http://www.nyskwic.org and the Council on Children and Families at http://www.ccf.state.ny.us.

Things You Can Do

• Recognize your personal role as a father or father role model in your family and in your community
• Participate in the Rotary project planning
• Attend the Fatherhood Forum and invite others to attend with you
• Add the project tagline “Takes a Man to be a Dad” to your existing website or advertising efforts
• Create or participate on a team to assist with the development of the Fatherhood Forum 6/10
• Create or participate on a team to assist with the social marketing campaign
• Conduct a fundraising activity to support the “Takes a Man to Be A Dad” project
• Create a club project within this project
• Add a TMBD website link to your existing website