TEAMDAD Created to Help Men Become Better Fathers

About 24 million children grow up without a father present in their home. In many communities nationwide, 1 out of 3 newborns don’t have a dad’s name listed on their birth certificate. , and he has started a new social business venture to encourage dads everywhere to be more present.

Teamdad.com is David and Peggy Hirsch’s new creation. The website was created to complement Hirsch’s first fatherhood organization, Illinois Fatherhood Initiative, or IFI.

“I’d give IFI a B+ or A- in regards to awareness,” Hirsch said. “We do a great job, we do things in a very big way. . That’s really an effort to raise awareness. When we go to helping dads become better father figures, I’d give us a C.”

That’s where TEAMDAD comes into play. The website offers more resources for fathers and father figures to improve on their parenting skills and help them become more actively involved in their children’s lives.

The website offers a self-assessment tool where dads can get immediate feedback on areas in which they need to improve. The site also lists all of the responsible-fathering organizations around the country, which is something no other national organization has done before.

“Most organizations just promote what they do. What we’ve done is turned that model upside down. We want to help promote all of these organizations that are doing good work in the name of children and fathers, so we’ve databased about 400 organizations that we’ve made available by state and state resources,” Hirsch said.

TEAMDAD also is offering a Great Dads Coin; a keepsake meant to honor your own father, and help those without one. Everything printed on the coin has meaning to it. The outer ring of the coin features the core values great dads possess: Love, honesty, patience and commitment. The numbers 247365 represent the everlasting commitment a father gives his children. The bald eagle in the center of the coin represents protection and guardianship.

The handmade coins cost $15 and are meant to be given as gifts to the father figures in our lives.

“The proceeds from this endeavor are going to go towards promoting responsible fathering,” Hirsch said. “In Joliet, we hope to make a check presentation for the Children of Fallen Soldier’s Relief Fund. That is just one of the many organizations that will benefit directly from the orders of the Great Dads Coin.”

Hirsch hopes TEAMDAD and the Great Dads Coin will help men all over the country learn to be better dads.

“It’s something that we hope will inspire and equip men to be great dads. It’s our vision that we’ll have dads, perhaps thousands of them, carrying these coins as a daily reminder of the relationship that they share with their kids,” Hirsch said.

To learn more about TEAMDAD, and to purchase a Great Dads Coin for Father's Day or another occasion, visit teamdad.com. Coins must be purchased by June 10 for guaranteed delivery by Father's Day.

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