Date of Award
Fall 12-2010
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Public Administration (MPA)
Department
Political Science
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to analyze the needs of young daughters being raised by single parent fathers in order to create a program that will assist in addressing these needs. Daddy’s Girl, a program to be founded by the Nicoma Narjett Foundation will be created to provide inspiration, support, character education, and social development to young girls, between the ages of 10 to 16, who are currently being raised in single parent homes, where the father is the primary care taker. The researcher believes that by creating this program under the nonprofit organization, she will be assisting young daughters and their single parent fathers in addressing their young daughters’ needs, as well as bringing awareness to the fact that there are single parent fathers who need assistance and proper resources in raising their daughter.
Young daughters, who are 10 years of age and older, tend to battle with self-esteem issues, puberty concerns, and the adjustment of entering or soon to be entering middle school. Further, the researcher believes that young daughters are in need of guidance, support, and nurturing assurance from a mother, mother like figure, or female mentor. An analysis of previous studies was conducted in order to determine the personal care needed for young adolescent girls who are 10 years of age and older. Due to the nature of this exploratory study, the following general questions were examined:
1.) What emotional and psychological needs are 10 to 16 year old girls currently experiencing?
2.) What environments are needed for 10 to 16 year olds to open up about the problems they are experiencing, in order to help alleviate them?
3.) What would 10 to 16 year olds like to do in this environment?
This research found that young girls want to be involved in an all-girls group where they can discuss their friendships, peer pressure, self-image and improve upon their self-confidence. They want to participate in activities in which they helped to develop and design. Due to the study findings, the researcher concludes with ways to move in creating a program that young girls in DeKalb County and Fulton County, Georgia, will be able to actively get involved in, which is age appropriate; thusly providing extracurricular activities that will not only maintain and improve the young girls’ social interaction, but will help in addressing their problems and concerns, and in keeping them emotionally and physically healthy.