Good Dads Cedar County

Good Dads Stockton is now Good Dads Cedar County! The Family Restoration Center of Missouri, located in Stockton, first joined the network as a Good Dads Chapter in 2022 but recognized its reach and impact could be much greater in collaboration with the county’s recovery centers, child support specialists, faith groups, law enforcement, business leaders and other community leaders. 

With a poverty rate around 18% (higher than the Missouri average of 13.2%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau), fostering father involvement in Cedar County has the potential to improve social, economic and educational outcomes for those who call Stockton and El Dorado Springs home.

In 2022, Cedar County alone had more than 550 open child support cases. We know that more than half of child support cases in the state go unpaid. This means Cedar County taxpayers are paying the price—literally. Hundreds of thousands of dollars can be recovered for child support cases when we meaningfully engage fathers, support them as they work toward their goals and give them the tools they need to be Good Dads.

Through the New Pathways for Good Dads program, this community chapter will focus on reducing recidivism, supporting a network of sobriety, connecting dads to career and educational resources, leading classes on fatherhood skills and otherwise serving the community’s at-risk dads. It also aims to improve educational outcomes for elementary-aged children by engaging dads with the Good Dads Strong Schools program.