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Dads Are Parents Too: Today's Dads Encourages Fathers to Become Involved
Today's Dads is a program committed to involving fathers in the parenting process. Today's Dads began in the spring of 2001 and since that time, we have served approximately 200 fathers. This voluntary program is unlike any other in Milwaukee. It is the only one that reaches out to the community to get fathers involved and to assist them in overcoming obstacles. Alphonso Pettis, Today's Dads case manager stated, "Young fathers come to our program and ask for assistance on their own. They are not pressured; they just have the desire to be a positive part of their child's life." Today's Dads offers many services through one-on-one case management such as paternity assistance, enrollment in school, non-violent parenting education, and referrals to services offered by other community based organizations. In addition, we offer group programming. One of the reasons for Today's Dads success is the creative outreach efforts provided by case managers Alphonso and Shawn Ticer. One of those efforts was "Dads Who Play Also Teach," a 3-on-3 basketball event held September 27, 2003. The focus of the event was to bring fathers, especially teen fathers, together to hear positive parenting information and also to have fun. We invited speakers from the business community, who volunteered their time, to hold sessions on topics such as responsible fatherhood, violence prevention education, alcohol and drug prevention, non-violent parenting techniques, and paternity education. The participants were enthusiastic, and the event was a tremendous success. This year, we began an important Today's Dads component, a job coaching workshop. "One of the main issues facing fathers is unemployment. Many participants don't have basic job skills," said Alphonso. In February, we held a three-session workshop, which offered information on proper attire and grooming tips, communication skills, resume writing and job application completion. With the assistance of our Human Resources Manager, Lucretia Dillon, we held mock job interviews. Four fathers participated in this first series of workshops, and they were all highly successful. The fathers went to a job fair, where they stood out among the other attendees. In fact, based on their appearance, their demeanor and their resumes, they all secured jobs! We plan to continue the workshops throughout the year. Today's Dads continues to grow, and the only thing holding us back is the lack of funding for fatherhood programming. Alphonso explains, "We have so many ideas because the needs of the fathers are so great. One of the groups we would like to hold is a 'Boot Camp' for dads where they would learn parenting basics - diapering, holding, feeding, and playing. We also want fathers to understand things like shaken baby syndrome and the dangers of co-sleeping. Now all we have to do is find funding for programs like this." We commend the fathers on their hard work and dedication to their children, and we wish them all a very happy Father's Day!