Good Dads’ partnership with the United Way of the Ozarks was renewed for the 2024–2026 grant cycle. UWO announced last Monday its new lineup of program winners for its community investment fund.
“This was our most competitive grant process yet, and we’re thrilled with the quality and variety of community needs United Way can help address,” said Brandi VanAntwerp, president/CEO of United Way of the Ozarks, in the organization’s July 1 announcement.
Good Dads is excited to continue to be a United Way Partner Nonprofit.
About the Program
The New Pathways for Good Dads (NPGD) program was previously awarded in the 2022–2024 grant cycle, and thanks to UWO funding, we were able to expand our program.
UWO’s renewed commitment to supporting the NPGD program via the 2024–2026 grant will help Good Dads cover expenses related to training facilitators, overseeing services and providing support to communities throughout the Ozarks. We look forward to expanding our services to more United Way Counties, giving more fathers than ever before the opportunity to benefit from the program.
“We are always very grateful for support from the United Way,” said Dr. Jennifer L. Baker, founder and director of Good Dads. “We recognize the trust this represents from donors and plan to do our very best to be good stewards of the resources they have shared.”
The NPGD program serves at-risk fathers by providing the tools they need to become Good Dads. Through fatherhood and relationship skills classes, jobs resources and an assigned child support specialist, fathers in the program are empowered to overcome adversity and be more engaged in their children’s lives.
In the six-month program, dads develop a variety of important skills, including:
- Fatherhood skills
- Stress & anger management
- Decision-making
- Self confidence
- Healthy masculinity
- Communication & conflict management
- Leadership
- Emotional & physical safety
- Commitment
- Navigating the child support system
We see these skills as critical to a father’s ability to gain and keep stable employment, contribute to the wellbeing of his family, meet his goals for developing and maintaining healthy relationships, and attain self-sufficiency.
With funding from UWO, Good Dads is eager to serve more fathers than previously possible. By providing participants with a service plan tailored to their needs, we know we can help kids and communities one dad at a time.
United Way Counties
- Barry
- Dallas
- Douglas
- Greene
- Hickory
- Laclede
- Lawrence
- Polk
- Stone
- Taney
- Texas
- Webster
- Wright
Bolded areas indicate counties where Good Dads services are present. Italic areas indicate counties where Good Dads is currently pursuing opportunities for development and expansion.
