Young fathers program first of its kind
Dad Central Niagara is not your father’s support group.
In its second year, the only program for young fathers in the Niagara region has received major funding.
United Way St. Catharines and District has donated $10,000 a year for three years to Dad Central Niagara beginning July 1 this year.
Strive Niagara and Niagara Region Public Health created the program after noticing a gap in services for young fathers.
“We saw the need, that there are no services for them,” said Sandy Toth, executive director of Strive Niagara. “We saw that there is no place for them to sit and chat and talk about what it means to be a dad and what can I do with my child. There are a lot of programs like that for young moms.”
The program is open for biological dads and stepfathers aged 14 to 25. Dads can access free child care, information and advice nearly every Wednesday during the school year starting Sept. 14.
For now it is only run in St. Catharines, but with a new grant from the United Way, the program hopes to expand to Welland and Niagara Falls to reduce transportation concerns.
Frances Hallworth, executive director of United Way St. Ca th arin es and District, applauded Strive for finding and filling the need.
“I don’t think that anyone has addressed it before,” she said. “I really think it is Strive that really brought it to the surface. That’s why it is very important that agencies like Strive, that are on the ground and who are talking to people every single day, they have an opportunity to see what those unmet needs are.”
United Way also funds two other Strive programs, Postponing Parenting ’Til You’re Ready, through which teen moms speak to elementary and high school students about the reality of being a young mom, and St. Catharines Outreach, which offers child care for young parents.
Dads receive information and materials at the meetings from Dad Central Ontario, a resource development organization, and public health on a variety of issues.
Dads receive information about how to care for children, but also have an opportunity to open up about fatherhood.
“They talk about their own personal goals, and where do they see their life going and how can their life move forward and at the same time incorporate their child,” Toth said.
Before starting the program, Strive looked at barriers that may prevent fathers from attending the weekly sessions and tried to remove them. The program is free, child care is available, and it is conscious of travel being another barrier.
“We’re really proud to partner with Strive,” Hallworth said.. “We’ve been funding them for quite a long time and we continue to fund those other two programs.”
“They’ve addressed all those barriers, which I think was really quite neat.”
Tina Durlov is one of the program facilitators at Dad Central Niagara. She has worked with young mothers on behalf of Strive for 10 years.
“A lot of the young fathers that have come and attended it were really surprised and they really liked it a lot because it wasn’t what they expected,” she said. “It was something that they really enjoyed about the program.”
Toth said between five and 10 dads showed up each Wednesday last year and the average age of the fathers was between 19 and 20 years old.
“We do a survey with them at the end and they’ve loved the opportunity to meet other dads,” she said. “They’ve appreciated the fact that they can come and feel relaxed and speak about something that means something to them, as well as learn fun things to do with their kids, learn child development, just be a part of something bigger than themselves.”
One father said in the survey: “What I love about this program is how it brings all young fathers into one community where they can all associate and socialize with other fathers and learn different things about the group and each other.”
The program runs between September and August almost every Wednesday between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Sven H. Dohnberg Centre at 535 Lake St. in St. Catharines.
To reserve a spot in this year’s program people can call Toth at 905-735-2566 ext. 223 or e-mail her at stoth@striveniagara.com.
They talk about their own personal goals, and where do they see their life going and how can their life move forward and at the same time incorporate their child.” Sandy Toth, executive director of Strive Niagara