Child services organizations have often had a reputation for being the enemy of fathers and non-custodial parents, as the agency is usually the one seeking past due child support payments or seeking to incarcerate non-payers. However, some agencies are attempting to reach out to fathers in their communities to provide support, dispel myths and help these men become better parents.
One such organization is Lucas County Children Services in Ohio, the Toledo Journal reports. Recently, the agency hosted a town hall meeting at a local church. When fathers expressed personal problems at the event, someone from the organization was introduced to them to provide help.
Other fathers spoke up in praise of the organization.
“I’m here to tell you that the Children Services Board isn’t here to take your children,” Carl Christopher, a father of three, told meeting participants, according to the news source.
The agency helped him have the opportunity to clean up his life and after improving his situation, he was granted full custody of his children.
According to Fathers and Families, an agency devoted to promoting two-parent approaches to child custody, half of American children are growing up without a father in their homes due to divorce or unmarried parents. However, the agency feels that fathers often get inaccurately dubbed as irresponsible when misguided laws, government policies and judicial traditions also play a role.
