Jeffrey Levine believes that the value of parents being involved in their children’s lives cannot be overestimated.
“It is critical that all children in Illinois have the best chance for a future and a healthy childhood,” said Levine, chair of the Illinois Council for Responsible Fathers. Stated.
Established by the state Legislature in 2004, the council aims to increase the number of children who grow up with a responsible father in their lives.
“If you look at the statistics, you’ll see that children who grow up without a father are more likely to have educational problems. They’re more likely to have psychological problems.” said Mr. Levine, a Chicago lawyer and author of several books on fatherhood.
In his work to raise public awareness about how the absence of a father affects a child’s life, Levin emphasizes that both mothers and fathers are critical to a child’s upbringing. He points out that nearly 40% of children are born out of wedlock.
He also believes promoting fatherhood can help communities like Peoria address social issues such as poverty and violence.
“Children do better in school when fathers are involved. They have better physical and mental health. Many are financially unable to survive. It works better, and you’re less likely to get involved in a crime,” Leving said. “For example, the most reliable predictor of crime in America is fatherlessness. And I’m talking about not only[criminals]being the defendants in these criminal cases, but also the victims in society. It’s about a crime.”
The council will hold its annual symposium Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. at the Galesburg Public Library, with scheduled speakers including Levine, Galesburg Mayor Peter Schwartzman and Knox College men’s basketball coach They include Ben Davis, Fatherhood Education Association President Maureen Gorman, and Reverend James Haley. He chairs Streak Dads, a program at Galesburg High School that provides father figures to students in need.
Levine said the idea that a father’s role in raising a child is less important than a mother’s is outdated.
“It can be traced back to the industrial revolution in this country, where fathers spent incredible hours putting food on the table so their children could eat and their families could survive. Because of this, I was often away from home,” he says. “So mothers had to function as the primary, and sometimes only, parent. So there was a lot of stereotypes that fathers were not needed to raise children. Their only real role was , being a child support payer (and) a meal ticket.”
Levine said these stereotypes are deeply problematic and need to change.
“I believe the best parents are both parents. I think children should have a great mother and a great father,” he said. “Unfortunately, that’s not always the reality. And even if it’s not the reality, the children have a mother figure and a father figure, even if it’s not their biological mother and father. They need the support they need to grow and succeed in life.”
Levining said it’s important for fathers living apart from their children to find ways to maintain a presence in their lives.
“I’ve talked to a lot of fathers who are not custodial parents, some of whom don’t even live in the United States, some of whom are in the military and serve overseas, and it’s a very It’s difficult,” he said. “But now, thanks to technology, many people can stay in touch with their children even when they are abroad through Zoom. Telephone contact is still important, but Zoom allows you to visually see each other. is better.
“I think most communication is actually nonverbal, and Zoom allows for that nonverbal communication. Without Zoom, everything would be limited to the phone. Because it becomes voice, a lot of the very valuable and important communication bonds are lost,” he said. . However, a phone call is better than no contact at all. So I believe that all parents should do everything they can to build positive relationships with their children, but it’s not easy. ”
We look forward to the symposium’s participation by policy makers, social workers, family counselors, educators, child development experts, and other interested members of the public. Levining believes this symposium brings him one important lesson.
“Hope,” he said. “We hope all participants leave with hope for a better world for all children.”
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