Through Counseling and Personal Development, Men Learn to Be Fathers

Supporting Low-Income Dads is Key to Reducing Long-term Poverty, says Catholic Charities USA

Many children in our country grow up not just in income poverty, but also in the poverty of absent fathers. With numerous studies showing how important fathers are to their child’s development and sense of self-worth, many local Catholic Charities nationwide are offering programs to help low-income fathers become and stay engaged in the lives of their children.

There’s no question that children are better off when both parents are involved in their lives, but this is too often not the case, as nearly 14 million children under age 15 live with a single mother. And sadly, millions of these children have fallen into poverty as a result,” said Rev. Larry Snyder, president of Catholic Charities USA. “By helping low-income dads, these local Catholic Charities programs are reducing many of the challenges that cause families to fall apart and children to fall into poverty.”

One example of a local program that strives to improve the economic stability of fathers and promote the positive involvement of fathers with their children is the Catholic Family Services’ Fatherhood Initiative in St. Louis. The program provides group counseling and education sessions to help fathers develop personally and socially so that they can positively affect the lives of their children.

The St. Louis program’s six-week intensive course, which meets for several hours daily, helps men learn how to engage with their children in positive ways and take on the responsibilities of fatherhood. The program also provides education on job search and interviewing skills, healthy behaviors and lifestyles, anger management, life skills, money management, substance abuse, parenting, and violence prevention. In addition, the men are able to get a physical exam and routine health care, an important support since many of the men have been using drugs and eating poorly for many years.