For two decades, one Milwaukee father has been pouring into other fathers on the North Side through his nonprofit, which provides free courses meant to teach them about parenting, manhood and becoming role models.
Terron Edwards is founder of Fathers Making Progress, which supports Milwaukee fathers with parenting skills, case management, mentorship and more. He launched the organization after previously doing work at New Hope Project focused on advocating for working poor non-custodial parents as well as fatherhood-related work at Northcott Neighborhood House.
“The work I was doing at Northcott became a passion for me,” Edwards said. “Being a dad saved my life.”
Edwards, a father of five, said growing up was challenging because his father was killed. The pain he felt made him make poor decisions until he became a teen father.
“I decided that I wasn’t going to leave my son the way my father left me,” he said.
Understanding what the program has to offer
After receiving training in various fatherhood curricula, Edwards launched his first 12-week class in 2005, which was later called “Fathers Building Fathers.”
Dads who participate in Fathers Building Fathers learned three modules that focus on manhood, navigating different relationships and traditional parenting lessons like discipline, stages of child development and more.
“We have an alumni network that is made of longtime guys and support groups that focus on different topics, and sometimes there’s no topic,” Edwards said. “Sometimes it’s the opportunity for folks to have a safe space to talk through stuff.”
The organization began as an independently funded movement but was incorporated as a nonprofit during the pandemic in 2020.
Building brotherhood through vulnerability
Demetrius Simmons, 27 and a father of seven children, was a participant in 2019 before the program became the nonprofit Fathers Making Progress.
“I made a promise to all my kids that I wasn’t going to miss out on any days, I was going to be there and take my role as a father seriously,” he said.
Simmons said he loved how the initiative showed him what brotherhood was and created a safe space.
“That’s a space to be vulnerable without judgment,” Simmons said.” “I found that unique because a lot of times the world doesn’t show us the other side of places you can go and there will be people who will understand you.”
Simmons had his first child at 18 in 2016, which resulted in him choosing to work and gain experience and provide over school.
“By the time I had my second child, I had a system down packed,” Simmons said. “Then I got married and had a third child and was able to correct some of my mistakes I made from my first two.”
Chris Harris, 39, and a father of four, participated in the organization in 2011 after being invited by Edwards to attend a session.
During Harris’ first visit he saw men sitting in a circle and venting about their personal situations.
“That was very interesting to me because I had never seen that before,” he said. “I’ve been a member ever since.”
Harris describes his fatherhood as great even though it comes with its challenges.
“Life is full of challenges so you can’t escape those with being a parent,” he said.
Building stronger generational cycles
Edwards’ other focus with Fathers Making Progress is ensuring that fathers develop strong generational cycles, which help them pass down patterns, behaviors and beliefs to the next generation. This can help them maintain a steady relationship with their child.
One way to build strong generational cycles is through having a good coparenting system.
“We have to be serious about coparenting, especially with the fact that marriage is already on a decline and divorce is on the rise,” Edwards said. “Dads can have all the tools in the world, but if they don’t have the access because of bitterness and other things then our work doesn’t mean anything if relationships aren’t strengthened.”
Harris said one of the challenges the organization helped him overcome was raising his children in different homes.
“They helped me to understand what it takes to be a better co-parent and how to do it effectively without leaving the other parent out,” he said.
Fathers Making Progress also builds stronger generational cycles through an initiative called “Boys to Leaders,” where men from his organization visit local schools to offer intergenerational workshops, mentorship and other free services.
“We help young men quantify what positive manhood is and what healthy relationships look like,” Edwards said.
Taking in all the lessons and sharing advice
Simmons said his greatest lesson is knowing that being a present father is everything.
Simmons remembers the emotions he felt after missing the birth of his middle son due to incarceration.
“That’s what really made me open my eyes up to a lot of stuff about fatherhood,” he said. “For the other two, I was actually there to cut the umbilical cord, but I wasn’t there for my other child and it made me feel some type of way.”
Simmons said he’s raising two bonus children who are from broken homes, but with support from the organization, he’s confident in not making the same mistakes again.
Edwards also said that being present is his top lesson.
“We don’t have all the answers and we don’t have to be the richest, but to show up intentionally for our children will mean the world to them,” Edwards said.
He advises fathers to develop an understanding of what their beliefs and values are so they can pass it to their children.
“It’s essential that you are living by those as closely as possible,” he said.
For co-parents, Harris advises them to learn how to work together before the baby is born to avoid confusion and disorganization.
“That’s going over child care, work schedules and things of that nature,” he said.
Simmons, now a facilitator for Fathers Making Progress, wants young fathers to know that they shouldn’t let their situation define who they are.
“You can always make your situation better,” he said. “What you put out in the world is what the world is going to give, so try your best to put as much good stuff in the world so you can receive just as much.”
Interested in participating or learning more?
If you are a father interested in taking free courses through Fathers Making Progress, click here to submit a request.
The course will include meals, activities, gifts and more.
Click here to view and sign up for other initiatives through the organization that spark your interest.
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