what is good dads?

Good Dads is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Springfield, Missouri. It aims to encourage fathers by providing inspiration, resources and events to help dads be the best they can be.

Good Dads was established in 2015 after community leaders in southwest Missouri recognized the benefits of father engagement in their communities. They found fathers were often overlooked in the family unit, despite their involvement being critical to the health and wellbeing of their children.

To date, Good Dads has served more than 800 at-risk men, helped hundreds more become better fathers, recovered more than $3 million in child support payments for the Missouri Department of Social Services-Family Support Division, and created and maintained a network of resources for dads that help them to be more engaged parents.

We serve any father who wants to become the best parent he can be.

Exterior panels of the Good Dads brochure
Interior panels of the Good Dads brochure
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our slogan

Helping kids and communities one dad at a time.

our mission

Our mission is to inspire, resource and encourage all fathers to be more involved in the lives of their children.

our vision

We aim to build better communities by promoting engaged fatherhood. The three key ingredients for a great place to live are robust economies, safe neighborhoods and strong schools. But a community without engaged fathers can’t hope to have any of these! When we foster responsible fatherhood, kids do better in school; relationships have less friction; crime rates decrease; economies flourish; people of all socio-economic levels are healthier and happier. It’s clear that dads are a critical piece of the puzzle.

Who is Good Dads For?

Good Dads is for all dads – because any dad can be a great parent. All he needs are the right tools.

Here, we’re all about fathers of all shapes and sizes. Maybe you’re a white-collar dad who can never seem to make time for raising kids after long hours at the office. Or maybe you’re a divorced tradesman who hasn’t seen the kids in years.

We’ve seen all kinds of dads: divorced dads, over-the-road trucker dads, dads who don’t have custody of their kids, dads who coach their kids’ sports teams, cub scout leader dads, single dads, dads with a history of addiction or incarceration, dads who take their kids on play dates and any other type of dad you can think of.

All of the above dads, despite different upbringings, experiences, barriers and strengths, all have the capacity to be a Good Dad. We’re here to encourage, equip and empower all dads to be the best parent they can be.

Cover of Good Dads Annual Report. A dad helps his daughter ride a bicycle.
See Our 2022 Annual Report

what we do

Good Dads believes a wholistic approach to community engagement is the only way to reach all fathers. We achieve our mission as we ...

1

Serve At-Risk Fathers with our New Pathways for Good Dads program, enabling them to overcome fatherhood hurdles, get better jobs, pay child  support and build/maintain meaningful relationships.

2

Host Strong Schools events, a monthly, before-school breakfast program with low-tech, tactile activities to spark connection among fathers and their kids.

3

Create a huge library of Web Resources, including a weekly podcast and
e-newsletter, child support advice, conversation starters, mental health resources and more.

4

Spread our vision with our Chapter Network through Helping Fathers in the Heartland, a program designed to help communities address the needs of fathers in their area.

5

Provide Corporate Benefits via our Fundamentals  of Fatherhood course, perfect for working dads who want to better connect with their kids, and Good Dads Over the Road, for trucking fathers. We also partner with the business community to reach more dads.

6

Develop and support Events that help all fathers be more engaged with their children.

7

Resource and Train groups who wish to be more effective in their work
with men.

AND SO MUCH MORE!

GOOD DADS STRATEGIES

A collage of dads engaging in fun activities with their childrenA collage of dads engaging in fun activities with their kids

IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

Good Dads classes are starting all the time throughout Missouri! Trained facilitators teach our classes to hundreds of dads every year. Find out more about each of our in-session classes by clicking on the button below.

Map of Missouri with class location markers

A - Springfield Headquarters
B -
Stockton
(Family Restoration Center)
C -
Kansas City
(New Life CityChurch)
D -
Hannibal
(Arch United Methodist Church)

1 - The Alliance of SWMO

2 - Brothers in Blue | Lansing Correctional Facility

3 - City Union Mission | Christian Life Program

4 - Freedom City | Northside Recovery Community Center

5 - Harbor House | Salvation Army

6 - Healing House KC

7 - Imani House | Swope Health

8 - Jasper County Jail

9 - The Life Church of Mountain Grove

10 - Lifepoint Church (Lebanon)

11 - Recovery Outreach Services

12 - Restoration of Hope Project

13 - Simmering Center | New Beginning Sanctuary

14 - Springfield Recovery Community Center | New Beginning Sanctuary

15 - Victory Mission

Looking to start a Good Dads class in your neck of the woods? It would be our pleasure to collaborate with you. Give us a call or fill out our contact form below.

A text and image document containing information for how to volunteer with Good Dads.

cONTACT gOOD dADS

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