VCC's Dads' Club expands: Empowering fathers for over 25 years

VISTA – Vista Community Clinic announced the continuation and expansion of its Dads’ Club program, dedicated to supporting fathers and father figures in various stages of their journey towards positive parenting and personal growth.

Having provided invaluable parenting services for over a quarter-century, VCC initially recruited program participants through its prenatal and pediatric departments. Over the years, the program has evolved to offer comprehensive case management services, addressing a variety of needs including housing coordination, treatment and recovery, legal assistance, employment readiness and more.

Currently, the Dads’ Club serves a diverse community, including fathers with open Child Welfare Services cases, individuals facing legal challenges such as DUIs or domestic violence cases and those experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. The program also supports fathers navigating custody and visitation issues and provides assistance to those struggling with child support payments.

In the latest phase of the Dads’ Club program from 2023-2025, VCC has secured funding from the Office of Child Abuse Prevention to continue its vital work in reducing child abuse and neglect among parents. In early 2024, VCC was awarded additional funding from San Diego County, Health and Human Services Agency to further expand Dads’ Club with a focus on fathers and father figures with high Adverse Childhood Experience scores. Fathers enrolled in the program will learn about positive parenting practices, child development, behavior, healthy relationships and the significant role of fathers in a child’s healthy development.

Key features of the program include free evidence-based parenting workshops designed specifically for dads, employment readiness assessment, intensive case management and a range of support services delivered through virtual and field visits, as well as phone consultations. The “24/7 Dad” curriculum, currently offered virtually via Zoom twice weekly in both English and Spanish, comprises a 10-part workshop series covering essential topics such as family history, communication, positive discipline and co-parenting.

The Dads’ Club program also offers intensive case management support for up to six months, connecting fathers with vital resources such as housing referrals, employment assistance, food support, child support guidance, and access to health care services.

“Recent success stories from the program highlight the transformative impact of the Dads’ Club. We had a client who, upon enrollment, was experiencing homelessness. Through dedicated support and referrals, the client secured temporary housing and embarked on a journey towards stability, including participation in parenting workshops, employment searches and building a resume to facilitate child reunification,” Rey Suarez at VCC, said. “Vista Community Clinic remains committed to fostering positive fatherhood and supporting families in our community through the Dads’ Club program.”

For those interested in participating in the Dads’ Club program, agencies can complete an Agency Referral form for a client and send it to [email protected]. Alternatively, individuals can self-enroll by calling 760-631-5000, ext 7181.

VCC provides affordable, high quality health care to more than 70,000 community residents at 12 state-of-the-art locations in North San Diego, Orange and Riverside counties. VCC also offers a wide array of free community health education programs, which are open to all community residents. To learn more about VCC, call 760-631-5000 or visit http://www.vcc.org.

Submitted by Vista Community Clinic.