What supports exist to "uplift" fathers who have survived abandonment, abuse or torture as children? Where can men go to discuss the joys, struggles and issues of being a father with ACEs? 

Where are the men who face hard, heavy and complicated realities to make life easier and lighter for all who come after? We found two of them and they will be the featured guests in the next Parenting with ACEs chat.

Meet Charles Clayton Daniels, Jr. of Father's Uplift and "Trauma Dad" Byron Hamel. Both are fathers, mentors and advocates who support men's wellness and parenting.   

Charles Clayton Daniels, Jr. / Father's Uplift

Charles Clayton Daniels Jr. is CEO of Father's Uplift. He is a social worker who has worked at the Department of Children and Families in Massachusetts. Though he seemed "outwardly successful" as a young adult, he struggled with life-threatening depression. His father was absent for the second half of his childhood. Through Father's Uplift, Daniels helps men overcome the barriers that keep them from fathering and instead supports, encourages and "uplifts"  fathers. The Father's Uplift mission is as follows: 

"... to assist fathers in overcoming barriers (financial barriers, addiction barriers, oppressive barriers, emotional barriers and traumatic barriers) that prevent them from remaining engaged in their children's lives. Fathers have a powerful and positive impact upon the development and health of children. Fathers' Uplift is here to help each father reach their potential for themselves and the children in their lives. We uplift fathers and strengthen families nationwide through service, love, and encouragement."

 Byron Hamel (AKA Trauma Dad)

Byron Hamel (AKA Trauma Dad) is a filmmaker, advocate for men's wellness and children's rights. He is a single father with "ACEs through the roof" who survived child torture at the hands of a man now on death row for murdering a baby. He applies his life experience to the goals of protecting children and educating communities about child abuse prevention. He also helps other abuse survivors understand and learn how to cope, parent and stay healthy while managing complex post-traumatic stress. He has felt post-disclosure pain and judgment by others who he says have "weaponized" his past even though he is a loving father and his children are in a safe and loving home.

"A Cycle Broken", one of Hamel's films,  documents the child protection organization Guardians of the Children, Canada, a group of bikers who protect and support abused children. "If I Go Missing" is another riveting documentary airing on Bravo this year. It is about children's rights advocate Brianna Jonnie, an Indigenous 14-year-old girl who stood up to a racist system and asked for equal treatment and service for Indigenous kids and teens who go missing.  

Our amazing guests will be discussing these topics and their work:

• Fathering through Crisis & Depression
• Stigma & Share after Abuse & Disclosure
• Health, Happiness & Healing After Abuse
• Making Childhood Safe for Our Kids
• What Dads Need: Personal & Social Change
• ACEs Awareness for Families

Cost: Free
When: Tuesday, September 12th, 2017
Time: 10 AM PST / 1 PM EST
Where: Parenting with ACEs Group.

Open to all parents, professionals, survivors and allies. We hope you join us.

To Attend Chat Event on Sept. 12th @ 10 AM PST / 1 PM EST:

• If a Member of ACEs Connection & the Parenting with ACEs Group:
  Go to Parenting with ACEs where you'll see chat event at top of page.
• To Become Member of ACEs Connection & Parenting with ACEs Group:
  • Go to ACEsConnection and find sidebar that says, "Join ACEs Connection" and join ACEs Connection.
  • Once a member of ACEs Connection, go to Groups, All Groups, Join Parenting with ACEs Group
    • please do these steps prior to the chat 
      
      

Note: If you can't make the live event you can still participate. You can leave questions, comments or share stories or resources about fathers and ACEs. How?Go to scheduled chat and post a comment (see example, below). 

Your comment won't appear until the chat event goes live, online, but please know it will be shared with all chat attendees. You can come back and review transcript any time. All past chat transcripts are archived here.

Remaining Chats Scheduled for 2017

Questions/Comments: Contact Cissy White at cwhite@acesconnection.com