Welcome, Daddyshome
Posted on 12. Apr, 2010 by Brian Reid in at-home dads, dad groups
Nothing makes me happier than to announce the slick web presence of the most important dad group you (probably) haven’t heard of: Daddyshome Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to supporting fathers who serve as primary caretakers for their children.
Their website, daddyshome.org, just launched today, and they’re busy building in a number of resources, from information on how to form a group to stats to a speakers bureau. Most importantly, they are doing their best to make it easy to found local groups, build those groups and list those groups.
This marks something of sea change. At-home dads, in general, have never had much of a national community, even as the explosion of new media technologies has made it easier than ever to connect with dads across the country and across the world. There are exceptions — the At-Home Dad Convention continues to chug along, some 15 years after it was founded and 5 years after it was left for dead — but, in general, there not been a center of gravity for dads.
This isn’t altogether surprising. Much of what constitutes the “at-home dad community” has been individual labors of love: Peter Baylies‘ brilliant At-Home Dad Newsletter, the once-great slowlane.com site built by Jay Massey, the now-defunct beingdaddy.com. And when the creative forces behind those efforts moved on (as most fathers will), the community sort of evaporates. (I’m no exception. The slowdown in posting over the 18 months before the relaunch did a number on my readership … and therefore any community.)
Thar doesn’t mean that there aren’t great resources. If you don’t visit athomedad.org, you’re missing out. The forums at dadstayshome.com remain vibrant. I’m still here, as is a huge and growing list of dadbloggers.
But Daddyshome Inc. fills a real void, and it is build to have staying power — setting it apart from past efforts — and it’s great to have them aboard. Congrats to Peter, Mike and Matt for working so hard for so long to make this a reality.