No man is born an expert on fatherhood.

Good fathers are taught through blunt advice, wise counsel, observation, experience, and their environment.

This is why responsible fatherhood programs are saving lives, and why we should be talking about them.

Iron sharpens iron.

Initiatives such as the Strong Dads academy isn’t just curriculum based, it’s a fraternity prepping new dads – and keeping older ones – fit for the fight.

Dads who are raised well, will, in turn, raise their kids well.

Kick-started, and facilitated by non-profit, the National Fatherhood Initiative, Strong Dads is one of six core, pro-dad platforms raising men to be men, across the United States.

Regardless of age, incarceration, or alienation, fatherhood engagement programs go beyond self-help formulas for fathering.

Once a dad, always a dad, summons men to work towards being better ones.

From tackling domestic violence with information on how to recognise DV, to conflict resolution strategies, these life-saving programs defibrillate life into the heart of what it means to be men, in an anti-men world.

This includes advice on how not to be our own worst enemies.

As the adage goes, we never stop learning.

There’s gold to be mined from better money management, work/life balance, mental health, and “questions to ask before the baby arrives.”

Strong Dads is a 12-week course aimed at helping men work out familial problems, through “self-awareness, compassion, and individual responsibility.”

The goal is to “build the man first, and the father second.”

Talking about the initiative, field program coordinator, Robert Burdick, said he’s “seen lives changed.”

Turning broken dads into strong dads has turned lives around.

“Studies show that when dads are involved in the home, kids do better,” he added.

Through Strong Dads, Burdick has seen “relationships improve, and men get access to their kids back.”

Teddy Barker, another field coordinator, said the same.

“I just feel fortunate to use whatever experiences I have to help others,” he told The News and Eagle.

“That’s what I feel like this whole program is about.

“I’ve been through some very difficult things, and have heard, and seen some terrible things that might make people cry from some of the participants.”

“It’s rewarding being able to use those experiences to encourage dads to not give up,” Barker said.

Also known as ‘father-engagement training,’ Strong Dads was made accessible, and affordable, by Republican, Governor Kevin Stitt.

In April 2023 he invested USD $9 million dollars into fatherhood-specific services across Oklahoma, stating,

“I want Oklahoma to be the most pro-family state […]

“Fatherhood is an important piece of that puzzle, and I’m encouraged by this initiative to continue to expand and increase fatherhood programs in our communities.”

Justifying the investment, the April press release asserted,

‘Active father involvement is associated with a wide range of positive outcomes for children.’

Programs such as Strong Dads are evidence-based, and ‘will help men actively engage in their children’s lives while helping them identify and use resources to benefit their own lives.’

Determined to do better in answering the fatherless crisis plaguing America, Governor Stitt doubled down on his commitment, stating in June 2023,

“As a father, husband, and as governor, I firmly believe that fatherhood is important.’

Speaking to a Fatherhood Summit audience in 2024, Stitt reasserted,

“Each child is created by God. There is no greater honour or responsibility than to raise them, and remind them of their inherent value.”

 “A real man accepts responsibility. We don’t blame others. That’s a loser’s strategy.

“Real men lead courageously. Joshua 1:9 says, ‘Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous?’

“Do not be afraid for the Lord your God will be with you, wherever you go,” Stitt continued.

“The men the world is raising, are not the men the world needs.

Quoting Mark 8:36, he said, what’s needed is men who are “moved to significance, not just the desire for success.

“Life is about the relationships you build, and the people you impact.”

Stitt then explained,

We need men who won’t choose video games over getting a job. Men who will treat women with respect, not as entertainment.

“We need men who will reject passivity, who will lead courageously, and with integrity.

“We need men, who we would be proud to have our daughters marry. We need men who will make good husbands and dependable fathers.

“Every man in this room gets to decide what kind of father he’s going to be,” he concluded.

Strong Dads aren’t authoritarians, they are involved and irreplaceable.

The cure for fatherlessness is intentional fathers simply showing up, and getting involved.

We need strong dads.

Be a 24/7 one.

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