What We Do
Real Dads Forever creates age appropriate, gender specific and culturally responsive fatherhood development strategies that enhance the emotional, physical, social and spiritual relationship between fathers and family men, and their children. Since 1996 we have served thousands of fathers in hundreds of group sessions. Our fathers have diverse backgrounds and come to us from several different programs; Head Start, Early Learning Centers, Alternatives to Incarceration, schools, churches, corrections facilities, and other agencies. We receive referrals from CT Department of Children and Families, CT Department of Social Services and Family Development and Resource Centers. Some fathers are self-referred, some sent to us by the mother of their child and some from legal services and the court.
Our workshops explore; the impact of early formative years on life-direction, the effects of relationships (or lack thereof) with our own fathers, feeling life through the eyes of a child, the momentum and power (both positive and negative) of the family and community culture, co-parenting, and the intentional design of a “cocoon” of family, friends and acquaintances that will be part of an asset base that supports a “fathering” man. Some of our sessions also include moms. And we challenge our men to examine commitment to themselves, to their personal success and to their children and families.
Upon completion of the program we expect that fathers will make behavioral changes in order to self nurture, be more empathetic, have a stable and communicative co-parenting relationship with mom, spend more time with his child(ren,) and become involved in his child’s school life. Family men are also encouraged to position themselves to understand their place as partners and leaders engaging with the school system. They will realize the value of their own unique place in the life of their children, as a model, and as a leader, to teach, to love and to inspire them and know that he is needed forever.
In addition to program facilitation, we also develop and facilitate fatherhood programs for school systems, and consult with agencies around fatherhood issues. We facilitate professional development and staff training for agencies and schools, to investigate successful methods to engage and include fathers as essential partners and as family assets around pre-natal care, cognitive stimulation, child development and academic success for children. (We recently completed the design of a Prenatal, Early Attachment Curriculum for expectant fathers that will enhance their role as men in support of mom and the baby during gestation and beyond to the first 1,000 days of the child’s life.) We have also devised strategies around effective message delivery to men about shaken baby syndrome and domestic violence prevention. And we provide keynote speeches and workshops at conferences.
Doug Edwards
Founder and Director
