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Cindy Horgan of Cape Cod Children’s Place and Paul Melville, a family support specialist, are starting a new parenting group for fathers.
EASTHAM – Cindy Horgan, executive director of Cape Cod Children’s Place, and Paul Melville, a family support specialist, both know that dads can tend to be relegated to second place when it comes to taking care of their children.
Melville said he works with fathers in support groups to help them be better parents and to deal with issues specific to dads.
Parenting Journey for Fathers is an upcoming program and a first for Cape Cod. It is a 12-week that meets Wednesday nights in which Melville and Horgan will work in small groups with dads, focusing on how they were parented, what that process of growing up was like, who do they want to be as parents to their children now. “It’s really a powerful program,” he said.
The first session takes place Wednesday, May 6 from 6 to 8 p.m. at a location to be announced in Hyannis.
The program encourages parents to explore their own upbringing as they choose what kind of parent to be for their children. Generous funding for this program is provided by a Cape Cod United Way Community Investment Grant.
Melville said parenting programs on the universal issue of people not wanting to repeat the mistakes their own parents made but then making those mistakes anyway.
“Some people know who they want to be and they still find themselves being who their parent was. That was their role model. That’s what they learned. It takes some work to change gears,” Melville said.
Horgan said, “Every parent does the best they can with what they have.”
Another group for fathers, the Lower Cape Dads Talk takes place at Harwich Community Center, 100 Oak Street from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
The group meets the first Wednesday of each month with Paul Melville. The session is described as a safe, non-therapeutic group providing an opportunity for dads of kids and teens to talk about the issues of being a father in today’s world.
Free pizza and child care come with registration by calling 508-771-4336 ext. 2.
The group is sponsored by the Cape Cod Neighborhood Support Coalition with additional support from Cape Cod Children’s Place and Harwich Early Childhood Advisory Council.
Listen below to hear Paul Melville and Cindy Horgan talk about the father’s group and other services at Cape Cod Children’s Place.
