After losing his job several years ago, James Woods was determined to stay ahead of his child support payments and avoid going back to jail.
Woods heard about a program — one he was told would help him buy a house. That piqued his interest, and he called his girlfriend at the time to tell her the good news.
“Lo and behold, once I get there I’m sitting in the back of the class, and they were talking about child support,” Woods, a father of six, said in a phone interview. “I immediately called my girlfriend, and I was like, ‘Listen, this is not going to help me get a house.'”
She urged him to stay, and he did. Woods didn’t graduate high school, but he remembered a sobering lesson teachers would often give students in the ninth grade: “Look to the left. Now, look the right. Not all of you are going to make it.”
That resonated with him, and resolving to see the new program through, Woods would every day inch closer and closer to the front row of the class. Now, he’s leading those classes, teaching fathers who were in the same position he was five years ago.
“The most important thing is to be around positive fathers and positive men who are willing to trust the process,” he said. “That’s what I got from First Things First and Dads Making a Difference.”
Chattanooga City Councilwoman Demetrus Coonrod, of Eastdale, is donating her council salary for the month of June to First Things First, which runs a 13-week program for fathers without full custody of their children. Participants are seeking guidance with parenting and negotiating the child support system.
After deductions, Coonrod’s total donation is about $1,200, although she said a few other people now plan to provide matching donations. She’s hopeful the gift will spur others to assist with funding. Chattanooga City Council members earn an annual salary of $28,835, but the vice chair and chair of the board receive a little more — $31,335 and $33,835, respectively.
“Dads give a sense of security,” Coonrod said in a phone call Friday. “Kids always want their dads to be involved in their life. It just makes a world of difference when you’re co-parenting together.”
According to the program’s website, Dads Making a Difference holds a series of weekly 90-minute sessions with fathers, offering them information on navigating the legal system, getting and maintaining a steady job, and relating better to their loved ones.
“It’s a barrier when you have to continue to pay child support and you’re working to try to build those relationships back with your children or even the children’s mother,” Coonrod said. “You have all these obstacles in your way that can ultimately send you back to prison.”
Lauren Hall, the president and CEO of First Things First, said in a phone call the organization helps fathers access mental health services and build a budget so they’re compliant with child support payments. The organization tries to limit sessions to a maximum of 15 men, which helps promote a more community-based atmosphere where participants can feel safe sharing their stories.
The organization receives referrals through the juvenile court system, which handles child support cases. Falling behind on child support can result in a father losing his driver’s license or spending six months in jail, which Hall said also acts as a significant incentive for dads to enroll.
Many fathers don’t know their rights, and the organization brings in judges and magistrates to answer questions, allowing participants to ask how they can avoid jail time or reduce payments. They may also be unsure about the kind of paperwork they need to bring to hearings.
“We try to make it more personal for them and not so scary,” Hall said.
First Things First has an ongoing partnership with the American Job Center, which provides access to employment opportunities and trains participants in soft skills.
The organization also has several men participating in therapy, allowing them to process childhood trauma that may be preventing them from keeping a job or stable family relationships. Coonrod’s $1,200 donation will flow into the organization’s mental health fund, Hall said, which First Things First uses to cover the cost of therapy — something participants normally can’t afford on their own.
Woods is now employed full-time at First Things First, which is his first office job, and he pushes fathers to work towards 50/50 custody of their children. His first class as a teacher started in May and will graduate Aug. 8.
He said the organization also has an alumni group that acts as a support network for fathers working their way through the program. There’s also a Dads Making a Difference podcast which features interviews with fathers, entrepreneurs and coaches. Episodes are posted on YouTube.
Woods is still working toward getting a house, but he now feels equipped with the tools necessary to make that long-term aspiration possible.
“I never dreamed a door would be open like this,” he said.
Contact David Floyd at dfloyd@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249.