HOT SPRINGS, AR – Community Services Office (CSO) Head Start program will hold its Father Engagement Basketball Game on Saturday, October 21, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The family event is aimed at promoting father involvement and will be held at 734 Blakely Dam Road in Mountain Pine.

The event serves as an opportunity for parents, staff, and the communities of Hot Springs and Mountain Pine to come together for a fun-filled afternoon. Families are encouraged to join in and enjoy the game, good food, and an atmosphere of camaraderie. Fathers are at the heart of this event, and its central goal is to engage fathers within CSO’s Head Start and Early Head Start programs. By increasing father involvement in schools, the CSO aims to contribute to the better social, emotional, behavioral, and academic success of all children.

“Community Services Office Head Start knows that positive father engagement leads to better social, emotional, behavioral, and academic success in all children,” CSO Family Service Worker Director Roger Powell said. “High levels of father involvement promote higher levels of confidence and sociability in children.”

CSO is also partnering with Ouachita Children Youth & Family Services (OCYFS) during the event. OCYFS Prevention Services Director Marcus Tatum and his Youth Coalition will deliver valuable insights into drug abuse prevention and offer peer-to-peer encouragement and support for families and young people in attendance.

Parents interested in participating can sign up through their Family Advocate or contact Janice Washington, the HS/EHS Parent Family Community Engagement Coordinator, at the Pat Longinotti site. Sign-up is open until the day of the game, so there’s still time to get involved.

To raise funds for the Head Start program, a concession stand will be available, contributing to the event’s overall success. CSO encourages all staff members to participate in any way they can. If you’d like to help with this event or play in the game, please reach out by email to show your support and make an impact.

“The Basketball game is a way to engage and promote involvement, which increases better outcomes for families and children! We need fathers involved in all of our programs,” Powell said.

For more information about this event or the Community Services Office, please visit www.CSOark.org.

Contact: Janice Washington, washington.j@csoarkansas.org

About Community Services Office (CSO): Community Services Office is one of 15 Community Action Agencies throughout Arkansas State, and more than 1,000 in the nation. For more than 57 years, CSO has provided local solutions to local problems by engaging community partners to help people living in poverty strengthen their lives. We remain proud of our work in being a voice for those without a voice and advocating for self-sufficiency.