Focus on Fathers program manager Larry Woody and peer educator Martin Rivera spoke with KYW Newsradio’s Racquel Williams about their work to empower Philadelphia fathers to maintain healthy relationships with their children.

Focus on Fathers, a program of PHMC subsidiary Health Promotion Council, strives to help fathers maintain a healthy and positive involvement in their children’s lives. The program offers free parenting classes, healthy relationship education courses, case management services, and other supports to empower fathers ages 16 years and older.

During their interview with KYW Newsradio, Woody and Rivera discussed the value of the program in Philadelphia, the class structure, how discussions are generated over the course of 13 classes, and how fathers can recognize and communicate their needs. The full interview was aired in an episode of KYW’s Bridging Philly podcast series and covered additional topics such as Focus on Fathers’ history, the importance of understanding childhood development, and how fathers’ active role in their children’s lives can be part of the solution to keeping communities safe.

Rivera, who participated in the program as a father and recently joined the Focus on Fathers team, shared what he learned from the parenting classes and what motivates him in his current role. “What means the most to me is helping fathers who are like myself: those who love being there for their children and want to be there for their children,” said Rivera.

Listen to the recording of the interview on KYW Newsradio’s Bridging Philly podcast, and read a brief summary in this article.

To learn more about Focus on Fathers, visit their website.