Josiah Peeples and Jeremiah Furnas were recognized on Dec. 13 for completing the DADz Initiative, a training on effective fatherhood offered through Clinton County Job and Family Services (JFS).
Presenting the certificates were Nicole Rodman, supervisor of the county’s JFS Child Support Enforcement Agency, and Dave Hinman, DADz coordinator.
In 2017 former Child Support Enforcement Prosecutor Katie Wright recognized that many dads just don’t understand the value they are to their children. Lacking a program to encourage fathers this way, a grant from the Ohio Commission on Fatherhood was secured to develop the DADz Initiative.
Endorsed by Clinton County Juvenile Court Judge Chad L. Carey, DADz is available by court referral or by request to the Child Support Enforcement Agency representatives. The support of the courts and that of the Child Support prosecutor are critical to program success.
The DADz Initiative works one-on-one with fathers, providing parenting education through the National Fatherhood Initiative’s “Fathering in 15” online curriculum.
Using local JFS resources, other options available in the community, and through personal mentorship, DADz serves local fathers who want to better engage in the loving support of their kids.
Fatherhood Mentor Dave Hinman said, “Being a good dad isn’t easy these days. The stresses of life are challenging, and the negative influences we face make it hard for a man to keep his children a priority. The DADz Initiative equips fathers to become the role model their kids respect and look up to. DADz is designed to build dads who are determined to love their kids.”
The goal is to help fathers engage more effectively with their children, and develop meaningful relationships that will last a lifetime.
For more information, or to schedule an appointment, please call the Clinton County JFS’s Child Support Enforcement Agency at 937-382-5726, option number 2.
