Building Better Dads, One Class at a Time

About 50 men gathered at The Downtown Church for a graduation ceremony that meant much more than receiving a certificate.

For many, it represented a second chance.

The men completed the New Pathways program, an arm of Good Dads.  The classes are designed to help fathers strengthen relationships with their children, improve communication and learn practical skills for being present in their families.

The graduates came from different backgrounds and carried different stories. Some were working through recovery from substance abuse. Others had experienced incarceration or strained family relationships. But they all shared a common goal: becoming better dads.

Norman Harris said he first heard about the program while participating in One More 24, a ministry-based sober living program.

"There were a couple of gentlemen there who had been in Good Dads before," Harris said. "I felt as if I needed it in order to be a better father and learn things."

Harris said he grew up without a father figure for much of his childhood and never had the opportunity to learn what healthy fatherhood looked like.

"I didn't have a father in my life until I was older," he said. "So I didn't learn how to be a dad."

He hopes completing the program helps show his children and their mothers that he is committed to doing things differently.

"Just because my kids aren't fully in my life now doesn't mean they won't be in the future," Harris said. "I'm hoping to prove to them that I've worked through all that."

Joshua James found Good Dads through Restoration of Hope while rebuilding his own life. He said he immediately recognized the value of having additional tools and support.

"They told me about it, and I was like, 'Look, get me in there. I want to get in,'" James said. "I definitely could use any type of resources or tools that I need to better myself."

James has a 21-year-old son living in California. While their relationship remains distant, he said the program taught him patience and helped him better understand his son's perspective.

"It definitely opened my eyes," he said. "I learned the tools to communicate and let him know that if he ever wants to talk, I'm here."

For Ben Bird, enrolling in the program began with a simple decision after seeing Good Dads listed as a voluntary opportunity through Judicial Services of the Ozarks.

"I figured it's voluntary, I'm going to take it," Bird said. "I need more information on how to be a good dad."

One of the biggest lessons, he said, came from the other fathers sitting beside him.

"A lot of times you bounce ideas off other dads," Bird said. "Everybody was supportive and there for each other."

While each man's journey looked different, the message repeated throughout the ceremony remained the same.

Being a good father isn't about being perfect.

It's about showing up. Learning from mistakes. Staying consistent. Picking up the phone. Having difficult conversations. Trying again when relationships become strained.

For these 50 men, graduation wasn't the finish line.

It was another step toward becoming the fathers they want their children to remember.