Two Virginia fathers have launched a “Dads on Duty” initiative to help provide a positive male presence in local schools and keep children safe from violence while supporting teachers and other staff.
“When they go to school, there are a lot of children that are scared and that’s a truth that we don’t want to admit as parents,” Joshua Carter said. “But as parents, we need to admit that and we have identified that there is an issue, and something needs to be done.”
“We’re going to be in the hallways with you and we’re going to be making sure that the bathrooms are clear and we’re going to be making sure that you can come here and learn and not have to worry about being assaulted physically, sexually, or anything so that you can be successful and you know, just be a child,” said Joshua Carter.
According to Dads on Duty, its goal is to help teachers and staff by being a support system for kids. Fathers will be on site at schools for the duration of the day.
The dads will have a number of duties, including welcoming students at the start of the day and providing a positive influence, ensuring students get to class on time, keeping an eye out for students smoking or fighting in hallways, and “serving as a beacon of security for students that may at sometimes feel unsafe or unprotected while in school.”
All volunteers will be required to pass a background check administered by the Virginia State Police before participating.
The program will be funded by the dads who participate, and the school system and county would not be expected to provide any financial assistance.
“We are hoping that with the increased presence, kids would be less inclined to solve situations with violence and bullying and succumb to a more peaceful way of alleviating the issue,” the initiative’s mission statement reads.
The Carter brothers noted that they’ve received a number of emails from parents of students at schools who have said their kids are too scared to go to the bathroom during school hours due to often violent incidents that take place in them, such as fights.
As such, they will be monitoring school bathrooms.
“No dads participating in the program will actually be in the bathroom, it will be more of around the bathrooms,” Joshua Carter explained. “So if there’s a group of seven kids walking in the bathrooms and there are only three stalls, obviously all seven of you don’t need to go in there at one time, because that’s where the trouble starts.”
The brothers expect to launch their program across Chesterfield County schools in the next school year.
“The main focus behind the ‘Dads on Duty’ initiative is to make sure that every child feels safe and appreciated while they’re at school,” Joshua Carter told Fox News. “It’s hard for you to start to develop the necessary skills to be a successful adult if you’re constantly afraid of going to school every day.”
“And, you know, it’s sad that we live in that society today, but there are a lot of kids—and kids that we’ve talked to—who are afraid to go to school because of that reason,” he added.
