Fathers, their kids and other family members gather for a special holiday fatherhood engagement event on Dec. 14. The Maternal & Child Health Committee and Johnson County WIC are organizing the free monthly get-togethers feature fun activities for dads and their kids, a meal and discussion among the fathers.
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Through the din of conversation and laughter, connections were being forged.
The program room inside the Early Learning Community in Whiteland was filled with happy voices. Fathers and their children had come on a Thursday evening to play games, eat dinner together and work on a snowman-themed art project.
But above all else, the fatherhood engagement event was a chance for dads to bond with their kids, and to make friendships with other fathers.
“It’s just the time spend — trying to spend appropriate and conscientious time with your children,” said Jeffrey Galbraith, community marketing representative for CareSource, who helped organize the event. “It’s making sure you’re focusing on your kids, and showing that to be a good dad is not difficult.”
The fatherhood engagement evening, organized by the Maternal & Child Health committee, is the continuation of a larger effort to help dads be more involved in their kids’ lives. Monthly free get-togethers provide opportunities for fun, discussion and education, helping reach an audience who often is overlooked of other family engagement activities.
“Moms find other moms, but dads don’t do that — often they’re not given the opportunity or the space to do that. There aren’t a lot of things,” said Kristi Thompson, director of Clarity, another organizer of the event. “We want to do some fun stuff with them, we want to do some teaching with them, and we want feedback from them to see what their needs are.”
For the Maternal & Child Health committee, the fatherhood engagement events have been an important part of improving health throughout the community.
Made up of representatives from agencies and organizations throughout the county, the committee focused on programs to strengthen and improve health for families. Participants include Human Services Inc.’s Head Start, Early Learning Community, CareSource and Clarity, who partner with WIC to put together events such as the Maternal & Child Baby Shower offering vendor booths and resources for expectant moms, and the Convoy of Care, featuring community resources for families.
Fatherhood engagement was the next step for the committee.
“There are tons of support groups for moms. But you don’t see a lot of things for dads, a chance for dads to get together,” said Tracy Smith, coordinator for Johnson County WIC. “Stats show that when dads are involved and support the family unit, it’s a stronger family that works together.”
Head Start had been offering fatherhood engagement activities for years up until the COVID-19 pandemic, featuring an engagement coordinator who organized events for the community. When that person left, the organization was unable to start in-person offerings again.
They worked with others on the Maternal & Health committee, partnering with the other organizations to bring it back to life. Head Start used grant money to provide some funding, while Dawn Underwood, director of Early Learning Community, applied for and received an Early Years Initiative grant from Early Learning Indiana to provide additional support for the program.
The events are held on the second Thursday of each month. During their December event, fathers and kids took part in a holiday-themed craft, shared a free meal and got a family photograph with Santa. About 100 people took part in the event.
Participants can sign up on an Eventbrite link, which provides times, locations and agenda for the evening.
Organizers are anticipating the program to evolve and change as it matures. But the heart of it will always remain the same — dads and kids spending time together.
“It doesn’t matter what age the children are. The curriculum is build around being a dad and a parent,” Smith said.
AT A GLANCE
Fatherhood engagement program
What: Monthly gatherings of dads who want to engage with their children in a meaningful way, while connecting with other dads, sharing experiences, and learning new ways to be involved in their children’s lives.
Who: Maternal & Child Health Committee and Johnson County WIC
When: 5-7 p.m. Feb. 8, March 14, April 11, May 9, June 13, July 11, Aug. 8 and Sept. 12
Cost: Free
Where: Locations rotate each month. See the registration link for more information.
How to sign up: Find a link to the Eventbrite registration at http://johnsoncountywic.com/recipes-and-more
Information: For additional questions contact Cassie Hawkins at [email protected] or at (812) 799-3266.
