A new project involving the Anglican and Roman Catholic communities in Saint John has officially begun.
The first Dads & Tots session was held at the Stone Church on Saturday morning.
It is a weekly play-based program for fathers and their pre-school aged children to help foster parenting skills.
Pat Desmond, who is one of the program mentors, told our newsroom the importance of fathers cannot be overstated.
“A lot of these fathers might have come from difficult backgrounds and not have had good father mentors,” said Desmond, who has six children of his own. “We’re there to try and give advice, be a sounding board, show them what the kids look for or what they want to do.”
It was a historic morning in #SaintJohn as Roman Catholic Bishop Robert Harris and Anglican Bishop David Edwards signed an agreement to work together on a joint mission project. pic.twitter.com/vXcJuTmjXJ
— Brad Perry (@BradMPerry) October 1, 2018
Dads & Tots includes a block centre, creative material centre, toy cars and trucks, among other things.
Leslie Allan, who has a background in early childhood education, said the program will help the fathers grow their relationship with their children.
“It’s not a lecturing, we’re not going to tell parents that they’re bad parents or that they’re mediocre,” Allan said. “We’re just gonna let them be dad and child together.”
Officials hope to offer the six-week program three or four times a year.
(Photo: Pat Desmond, one of the mentors for the Dads & Tots program — Brad Perry/Acadia News)
