Dante: Strong fathers build strong foundations

Paving the path for positive childhood outcomes through dedicated fatherhood initiatives

The beauty in our community is reflected in our neighbors’ deep desires to create strong foundations for the next generation, in our families’ passion to create hope and opportunities, and in our genuine belief that, together, we will build the future we believe children in the Rio Grande Valley deserve.

But amidst the beauty of hope lies the threat of statistics – numbers trying to write a story we at MHP Salud refuse to believe. These numbers fail to see the potential we experience daily … yet, without the right support and resources, these numbers also can lead to devastating consequences.

In Hidalgo and Cameron counties, more than 1 in 3 children live in poverty. That stat alone can lead to toxic stress in childhood that threatens to interfere with brain development and healthy system function … leading to an increased risk for challenges with physical and mental health, social-emotional development, learning success, and even future employment. And though this impacts all demographics, it disproportionately affects Black, Hispanic and Indigenous children – which should put all of us on high alert.

Magaly ‘Maggie’ Dante

Yet, while economic status attempts to predict potential, MHP Salud believes family, community and support can – and will – trump that prediction for our children.

That’s why we’re excited to be one of only three Texas-based community nonprofit organizations to receive funding from the national Parents as Teachers challenge grant to elevate child outcomes in our community. 

This will enhance MHP Salud’s Parents as Teachers program, generously funded by Methodist Healthcare Ministries, which empowers parents to become their children’s first teachers as they create safe, strong family foundations. Through this challenge grant, MHP is able to add a dedicated fatherhood component, recognizing the important role of dads.

Partnering with a local Fatherhood Ambassador – a proud dad who actively participates in the program – MHP Salud looks forward to increasing father engagement within our families, supporting strong and healthy father-child bonds, and encouraging dads as they see their own potential, influence and impact.

Because, while stats want to illustrate despair, studies paint hope. Research, while still in early stages, shows fathers who are active in their children’s lives at a young age can mitigate the toxic stress that accompanies family economic stress. From the beginning, positive father engagement can reduce cognitive delay in infants, improve weight gain in pre-term infants and even boost early language schools. 

The impact only continues … young children with active fathers are more likely to begin school on track and ready to learn, more likely to handle ongoing stressors, and less likely to engage in risky behaviors as adolescents. 

Some studies even show that children with secure attachments with their fathers have higher IQs and better language, math and cognitive skills – all invaluable as youth grow into adulthood.

Fathers’ influence on the future of our community’s children is indisputable.

But it will take all of us to rally around our families, to support our fathers and to build strong foundations for our children.

If you know a father of young children, please tell them about MHP Salud – we would love to support them on the most important journey of their life.

Or, if you want to be part of supporting this transformational initiative, please contact MHP Salud – there will always be a way for you to get involved.

Together, we will topple the odds statistics stack against our children. We will replace them with the beauty that is the Rio Grande Valley. 

Editor’s Note: The above guest column was penned by Dr. Magaly Dante, chief executive officer of MHP Salud, a 41-year-old nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health and wellness outcomes for underserved populations, with a particular emphasis on supporting families and individuals in border communities. 

Biography

Editor’s Note: Here is the biography of Magaly Dante that is posted on the MHP Salud website:

Magaly “Maggie” Dante, Ph.D., LMHC, has been at the helm of MHP Salud since 2022, elevating impact by launching Community Health Worker (CHW) trainings, apprenticeships and programs to create societal returns through workforce development, and through expanding programs related to disease management, access to health and mental health care, nutrition education, and parental/family engagement to increase child safety and well-being. With two decades of leadership experience in mental health, health care and child welfare, Dr. Dante has a track record of elevating quality, maintaining fiscal integrity, and engaging the community in supporting and participating in services that lead to improved safety, health and well-being. As a first-generation Cuban American, Dr. Dante’s passion to serve under-resourced communities and minority populations has fueled her career.

She is a sought-after speaker and expert trainer in business sustainability, particularly for organizations implementing the Community Health Worker model, and has been recognized by the Orlando Business Journal with the coveted “Women Who Mean Business” award. She is a certified family life educator, a licensed mental health counselor, and a Florida-licensed qualified supervisor. Dr. Dante holds a Doctor of Public Policy and Administration from Walden University and a Master’s in Mental Health Counseling from Nova Southeastern University.

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