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DePelchin Fatherhood Programs Offer Guidance, Community
DeWayne Booker wanted a different kind of relationship with his son than the one he had with his father. So a few years ago, DeWayne enrolled in a DePelchin Children’s Center program focused on supporting fathers and giving them a community with which to share and grow. DeWayne Booker enrolled in a program for fathers […]
The post DePelchin Fatherhood Programs Offer Guidance, Community first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
DeWayne Booker wanted a different kind of relationship with his son than the one he had with his father. So a few years ago, DeWayne enrolled in a DePelchin Children’s Center program focused on supporting fathers and giving them a community with which to share and grow.
DeWayne Booker enrolled in a program for fathers at DePelchin Children’s Center a few years ago. Today, he is a parent educator at DePelchin, which allows him to provide guidance and support for other fathers.
DeWayne, who lives in Houston, joined the 24/7 Dads program, where a half-dozen fathers would meet for two hours per week for 12 weeks, led by a DePelchin staff member, and share ways they could become better fathers. Some were married and some were single; all wanted to be the best fathers they could.
DeWayne’s father was a great and hardworking provider for their East Texas family growing up, but DeWayne wanted a more open, emotional connection with his own son.
“I wanted to connect with other dads who shared similar situations as I did,” DeWayne said. “I wanted to be able to become a better version of myself as a father.”
Among the things he learned in the program, DeWayne said, was “being open to communicating. It’s not weak or soft to have an outlet with which you connect.”
As a former Child Protective Services investigator, DeWayne also had experience working with children and families. About a year after he finished his 24/7 Dads program, he joined the staff at DePelchin so that he could help other fathers.
Today, DeWayne is a parent educator in DePelchin’s fatherhood programs, which are designed for Houston-area fathers, stepfathers, foster and adoptive fathers, and anyone else who takes on a fathering role. DePelchin offers three types of programs: groups for fathers only, groups for co-parents/shared parenting, and an online self-paced class for busy fathers.
DeWayne Booker, a parent educator at DePelchin Children’s Center, enjoys a game with his family.
DeWayne facilitates fatherhood classes along with mental health providers. He and his coworkers also provide one-on-one case management, in which they meet with clients over Zoom for 15 minutes a week and can point them toward additional counseling, financial assistance, employment assistance, and other guidance they may need.
Those who finish the program often want to stay connected, so they may become mentors to other fathers or give testimonials at DePelchin’s fatherhood events. With each class, more fathers find the connections and the guidance that helped DeWayne in his relationship with his own son.
“It gave me a sense that I’m not alone,” he said.
For more information about fatherhood programs and other supports for parents that DePelchin provides, please visit depelchin.org/parenting.
The post DePelchin Fatherhood Programs Offer Guidance, Community appeared first on Forward Times.
The post DePelchin Fatherhood Programs Offer Guidance, Community first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
