Affirming Fatherhood: Empowering Parents in Jamaica Queens

Angel Betances is one of the dozens of fathers who participated in the Affirming fatherhood event, or reaffirming paternity, organized by the city’s youth community development department together with different non-profit organizations in Jamaica Queens.

Angel Betánces, Affirming Fatherhood participant says:

“To educate myself a little more, to find out about all the programs and services that are on offer to parents so that I can also let the community know that being a parent is part of a fraternity.”

Betánces is a veteran of the Iraq war and has seven children. Due to an anger management problem, he had many problems with his family for several years.

She learned about the non-profit organization Foresdale Inc., which offers workshops to help parents strengthen their emotional commitment to their children. There she took classes to learn to control her temper.

Angel Betánces, participante, Affirming Fatherhood, explica:

“It is also having a strong mind, having a strong heart, and a strong soul because being a parent is first of all God and love.”

A love that he says today cultivates more than ever because he knows his role as a father better.

“The father is very important for the mental and physical health of any child,” adds Betánces.

The city’s youth community development department wants more parents to work to be present and attentive to the lives and needs of their children through the free workshops they offer together with different non-profit organizations in the five boroughs .

“I am glad that today we have the parents of New York City together in a group to discuss family and community problems and in a group how to solve them,” says Mike Bobbitt, Commissioner of said department.

In addition, she added that this is the first of many in-person events the department is hosting in observance of parent month.

The participants listened to educational talks, the importance of taking action and working as a team with their wives for the well-being of the family.

For more information on parenting events offered by the department, please visit nyc.gov/dycd.