Fathers and their contributions to family and community will be celebrated Friday by the Home Advisory Council, which represents local early childhood programs.
In the first annual event, scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon on Friday, June 19 at the E.J. Hooten fields next to Deming High School, the HAC will host fathers and community members to celebrate with food and prizes. Deming City Councilor Dr. Victor Cruz is scheduled to begin the event with his own reflections on fatherhood.
"We want to recognize fathers for the hard work they do as parents and to let them know they play a big role in a child's life," Anna Barraza, director of the Parents as Teachers program, said. The PAT program is a member of the HAC, along with CHI St. Joseph's Children, Early Head Start and Ben Archer's Welcome Baby Program. "This is a great opportunity to honor fathers and have a fun time."
Members of the HAC will provide hamburgers and hotdogs. Prizes gathered by donations from local businesses will be given out, and Cesar Moreno's Blue Star Entertainment has volunteered to play music. The event is free and open to the public, "especially dads," Barraza added.
Softball games are also being organized for community members to have fun. Players are encouraged to show up at the event to be assigned to teams. For more information, contact organizer Jose Jara at (575) 545-1817.
Members of the HAC primarily serve community members at their residences and within offices around the community using curricula designed to foster early childhood development and closer relationships between children — oftentimes babies — and their parents.
The PAT program alone serves 115 clients, 32 of whom are men. The program can help parents prepare for a baby, as well as provide support after the child is born. Monthly support groups and educational sessions, "Group Connections," are also held. Parent educators, the employees who do the home visits, also utilize male involvement during visits. For more information, contact (575) 546-9254.
The CHI St. Joseph's Children program is open to all first time moms, dads or caregivers. Families may enroll at any point during pregnancy or within the first two months after a baby is born. The program is free of charge and will assist families through the first three years of a baby's life. The program can be reached at (575) 543-5900.
The Welcome Baby Program provides home visitation to pregnant women and children up to age two in the counties of Luna, Otero, Sierra and Dona Ana. Staff provides case management and screenings for developmental delays, family safety and postpartum depression. The program also helps connect clients to community resources if needed. The program can be reached at (575) 546-4800.
Head Start operates several centers throughout Deming focused on delivering comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition and parent involvement services. For more information on the local centers, contact (575) 546-4339.