Fathers in Action, a program to help fathers in interactions with their children, had an end of summer bash last Saturday at Youth Services of Bryan County.
The event included hot dogs, music, bounce houses and other activities.
Fathers in Action is under the umbrella of Youth Services of Bryan County. It is a six-week program designed to strengthen and empower dads and father figures to be powerful role models and mentors for the betterment of their children’s futures.
About 30 have graduated since the program began in March, according to Stefan Roberts, the director of the program.
He said one of the purposes of last Saturday’s free community event was better recognition of the program.
“But also to give back to the community because we have had so much support from the community since we started in March and it’s been just really an amazing adventure,” Roberts said. “We kind of want to let the community know we’re here but also let them know we appreciate what they’re doing for us, too.”
According to Roberts, the program help fathers enhance their fatherhood experience.
“Kind of come together as dads and talk about things that we’re going through and try to help each other out if there’s any kind of issues or anything that we might be facing because they’re dads,” Roberts said. “We face something new every day, whether it be raising a teenager or communications with our children, and stuff like that because those things tend to change as they get older. So, through our curriculum it shows us how to address those different ages and how to stay in contact with the kids. We’re really here trying to enhance the fatherhood experience.”
The program has been expanded to include some of the inmates in the Bryan County Jail.
“It’s been very well accepted by the guys in there and we’re grateful to Sheriff Joey Tucker for letting us come in for that,” Roberts said. “Basically, it’s the same curriculum that we use in here with a little different format … it’s a really, really in-depth, almost a in-person type of a setting where we’re getting into the conversations about different things that they’re facing.
“Especially being incarcerated, they may have very limited contact with their children and we try to do whatever we can to help them come up with ideas that they might be able to reach out to them and get into contact with them. We’ve actually had a great success story.
“One of our dads in there hadn’t spoken with his daughter in quite some time and after going through the program, he learned how to communicate and get a relationship built with the coparent. That way, he could talk to the daughter and was able to actually get a video visit with the daughter after the first two years of not being able to see her. It was a great story for us to have. You know, with these guys in there, and to see that they really appreciate it, that makes it all worth it.”
For more information on the program, call Roberts at (580) 775-4833.
