On trying to understand fatherhood in America, I have come to believe that fathers remain an untapped transformational force. With findings from new research, which includes father's impact, family relationships will strengthen while a wide range of social problems will find improved treatment and prevention strategies.

-Claire Thurston

Claire Thurston has been researching father’s role in child development for 25 years and she presents workshops at hospitals, schools and conferences. She is a regular "Dads and Families" columnist for the online magazine The Good Men Project, which receives over six million views per month. Recent articles include: What is the Dad Difference? and Historical Parenting: The Fathers of Nelson Mandela.

Denver area probation departments piloted her protocol, the Paternal Empathy Program to prevent child abuse. In 2004 she was awarded the Presidential Management Fellowship and helped to develop The LEAD (Leadership Education and Development) Certificate Program for the Federal Government. She was a board member then staff member of Family Network, a non-profit for rebuilding intergenerational family support systems in San Francisco, California. She received her Bachelors from Brown University and Masters from the University of Colorado.

Article links:
http://goodmenproject.com/families/what-is-the-dad-difference/  http://goodmenproject.com/families/nelson-mandela-wwh/