His sons were already in their 30s, and the last thing he expected was to become a dad again. Then, he learned he had an infant daughter who was being placed in foster care. He immediately began searching about how to gain custody, and during this process, he connected with FirstLook.
He wasn’t sure what a pregnancy center could offer a father in his situation, but he was willing to find out. He began attending FirstLook’s virtual parenting classes every Wednesday. In addition to the weekly classes, he asked Brooke, FirstLook’s Education Director, to send him parenting videos, five at a time, so he could continue learning on his own. “He wanted to soak up all he could about parenting,” Brooke recalled.
Over the next several months, the process had its ups and downs. His daughter was moved between foster homes before he was able to have her placed with her grandparents. Through it all, he continued advocating for custody and participating in FirstLook’s parenting classes. Within four months, he gained full custody of his daughter.
Getting her home wasn’t the end of his relationship with FirstLook. He continued participating in virtual classes, learning about parenting at her current stage and preparing to meet her needs and parent her in the future. He shared, “The online class was awesome. I really enjoyed learning the psychology behind parenting a 7-month-old and for what’s ahead. I used several techniques learned with my baby today.”
In a separate message to Brooke, he described what her support had meant during the process: “Thank you for all of your help and support. Encouraging me always and keeping me busy with my free time to stay focused. Welcoming me to your program and giving me a professional to lean on when others were trying to push me down.”
Today, his baby girl is thriving. Although her mother doesn’t currently have a full-time presence in her life, her father makes sure she remains connected to her family, including her grandparents, her adult brothers, and her nieces and nephews. Brooke says his daughter is the biggest joy in his life, and this is evident every time he attends class. Months after first connecting with FirstLook, he continues to participate in their free, virtual classes.
While pregnancy centers are often associated primarily with women, FirstLook’s services extend to fathers as well. Men who come to FirstLook with their partners for pregnancy or STD testing can meet with male volunteers, and fathers can participate alongside their partners in pregnancy and first-year parenting classes. They can also earn their own reward points through classes to use toward baby and parenting items.
Your Support Reaches Fathers, Too
When you give to FirstLook, you help make no-cost parenting education, resources, and one-on-one support available to mothers and fathers throughout Ellis County. Your generosity helps ensure parents like this dad have access to resources as they prepare to care for their children and stand in their God-given roles as protectors and leaders in their home.
Help FirstLook continue serving mothers, fathers, and families in our community.