Begin With the Children

 

Our program is needed because:

 
Fact: Dysfunctional families are the product of ineffective parenting and anti-family social policies. Also, children of such families tend to become parents of dysfunctional families. American Society will not endure on a foundation of dysfunctional families.

Fact: Countless studies show that the change in the stable, two-parent family structure has resulted in a marked increase of negative outcomes for America’s children.

Fact: Over 40% of the babies born in the U.S. in 2012 were to unmarried parents.

Fact: According to the U.S. Censuses, in 1960 about 90 % of America’s children were being reared in stable, two-parent, always married families. By the year 2000, only about 45% of America’s children were being reared by such family units.

Fact: 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes.

The Begin with the Children parenting plan is designed for all parents, whether married, single, cohabitating or living apart. However, new parents start to adopt parenting habits and styles shortly after the birth of their first child. So the optimum time to engage these first time parents is during the 48 hours after the magic moment of birth while the reality of parenthood is still sinking in.

Effective conscientious parenting in traditional, cohabitating and single parent family units does instill within children the core noble, time-tested virtues and values envisioned by America’s Founding Fathers.To be effective the parents must be proactive, have a plan and follow it. The lead researcher in the $25 million Fragile Family and Child Well-being Study conducted by Princeton and Columbia Universities put it this way:

"It is clear that at the time of their children’s birth, the majority of unmarried mothers and fathers have high hopes for the future of their relationships. When looking to strengthen fragile families, policy-makers can target this “magic moment” when the likelihood of family formation is highest. Furthermore,given that mothers want the fathers’ assistance in raising their children, and given that fathers want to be a part of their children’s lives, policies and programs should facilitate, build upon, and maintain the commitment that unmarried fathers articulate at the time of their children’s births.”.(McLanahan, et.al., The Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study Baseline National Report [revised—March 2003]