Paul Rios is relying on his recent training and life experiences to facilitate Dads in Action classes that help fathers become more engaged with their children.
The Great Bend man completed facilitator training earlier this year and the pilot class is close to winding down; a new session begins this spring.
“These weekly sessions offer guidance on how dads can re-connect with their kids,” Rios said. “Any dad who is struggling can find new ways to communicate and be there for their children physically, emotionally and spiritually.”
Six fathers are participating in the two-hour class, which meets weekly for several weeks. A date and schedule for the next sessions will be announced in the near future.
Rios has 11 children, ranging in age from 16-30; he also is helping raise his 5-year-old grandson.
“I have been through what the class participants have been through. I have made a lot of mistakes,” he acknowledged. “Sometimes I was present for my kids and a lot of the time I wasn’t.
“During Dads in Action classes, I am working through the curriculum with the other parents. Helping them is helping me.”
Rios referred to his former self as a “broken man from a broken home. I used drugs and alcohol, and was consumed with myself. But I am no longer that man. I am learning to be a positive force instead of a negative force.”
Rios learned about Dads in Action through Amy Ferguson, program coordinator of Rise Up, a task force under the Central Kansas Partnership umbrella.
“After Amy mentioned this class, I prayed about it and the Lord said ‘this is just what you need,’” Rios recalled, noting he is an associate minister at Solid Word Ministries on N. U.S. 281.
Ferguson noted that if a dad is not connected with his kids, no one wins.
“In some families there is a real lack of connection,” Ferguson commented. “Kids are happier when they have a good relationship with their dad because no one can take dad’s place. When there is a disconnection between dad and child, it hurts everyone.
“This Dads in Action project can be part of the answer for those who are struggling,” she added. “I just love this class. It is so meaningful.”
A little background
The local program was made possible by a $50,000 DECK grant from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. DECK stands for Drug Endangered Children in Kansas; the grant funds also are earmarked for two other programs.
The Kansas Department for Children and Families also is involved by offering financial incentives to participants who qualify for assistance with their career, education and/or self-improvement.
Dads in Action follows the National Fatherhood Initiative curriculum, which Ferguson said is a great resource for the facilitator and the classmates.
On its website, the Initiative reports significant improvements have been made in recent years because of fatherhood programs and human-service organizations that help dads overcome challenges and be more engaged in their children’s lives.
However, more than 17 million American children still live without a father being present. The Initiative notes that it is important to continue to increase awareness of the impact of a dad’s involvement, while encouraging communities to include fathers in programs and services.
Rise Up is only one of multiple Central Kansas Partnership task forces, which strive to build grassroots efforts to promote health, wellness and rural-community prosperity.
Task forces tackle issues such as parenthood, along with sponsoring prevention programs that focus on the use of alcohol, drugs and tobacco.
