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Promise of Fatherhood
Fatherhood is traditionally summarized as providing for and protecting your children, but can dads be more than that? At LFCS, we see men taking very active roles in the upbringing of children and it’s inspiring. These men are biological dads, adoptive dads, foster dads, grandfathers, and others who truly care. Here are a few examples…
Gerald, LFCS Parenting Client
After Gerald and his wife, Sheila, divorced, they shared custody of their daughters, Kaylee and Chloe. Gerald looked forward to seeing his girls every Wednesday and every other weekend. He knew his children, especially Kaylee, were struggling with their parent’s separation and did his best to create a stable, loving home for them while they were in his care.
Gerald was concerned that Sheila was not providing the same structured environment for their children. With her mom as her primary care taker, Kaylee started falling behind in school and hanging out with older teens who steered her in the wrong direction. When staying with her dad, Kaylee would confide that her relationship with Sheila was strained and that bitterness was growing between them.
On one particularly tense day at her mom’s house, Kaylee brought home a report card with two failing grades. Sheila lost it and began punching her relentlessly. Chloe was watching and cried out for her mom to stop. When Kaylee couldn’t get up on her own, her mom panicked. Sheila helped her up and drove her to the emergency room. She told doctors Kaylee had fallen down the steps. But by her condition and the look on Kaylee’s face, they knew otherwise.
The authorities contacted Gerald to notify him of the abuse. You can imagine his heartbreak and concern for his children. He immediately knew that he needed to step up to the plate as a dad to do what was best for his kids.
That’s when Gerald turned to Lutheran Family and Children’s Services for help. He needed guidance for himself, and more importantly, support for Kaylee and Chloe. The girls met weekly with their LFCS counselor to work through the trauma of the physical and emotional abuse they had endured.
Now in their father’s care and with the support of their LFCS counselors, the girls have begun to heal and feel safe.