Father’s Day at Crisis Pregnancy Centers

For many fathers, Father’s Day is celebrated with new ties, summer shirts, sweet colognes, printed coffee mugs that read “World’s Greatest Dad” and family celebrations. For some dads, their children and spouses, Father’s Day can be a great day.

For expectant Fathers in a crisis pregnancy situation celebration is not always what they feel. Emotions of an unwed, expectant teen father waiting months until his girlfriend gives birth can be overwhelming. Father’s Day for these expectant dads may include giving his own father a gift as he thinks about how to tell his dad and mom that his girlfriend is pregnant. Some Father’s Days are not so easy.

Some single teen dads may find themselves shut out from their fatherhood experience if the mother says, “I want nothing to do with my old boyfriend, the guy who got me pregnant.” The bitterness can be hurtful. Some Father’s Days are not so easy.

Others single teen dads may completely abandon their responsibilities and potential joys because they don’t know the facts about fathering and family. They only know what culture and peer pressures have taught them. Some Father’s Days are not so easy.

On the other hand, many crisis pregnancy fathers may want to be good dads but have little understanding of their fatherhood role. They are without mentors to help them be the fathers they really want to be. They don’t know how and have no one to teach them. Father’s Day is a day of fear. Some Father’s Days are not so easy.

Historically crisis pregnancy centers have focused on the needs of abortion minded or abortion vulnerable women with the sole purpose of preventing abortion. That is still the case in many crisis pregnancy centers in the U.S. because funding is not available to do anything but pregnancy tests and ultrasounds.

How do we honor the father of an unwed teen pregnancy? Do we celebrate out of wedlock sex that resulted in pregnancy? Do we encourage additional unwed fatherhood opportunities? Where does marriage and responsibility fit in? Do we disregard the emotions of expectant mother and father and focus only on joys and not the challenges they will face as single parents? Some father’s days are not so easy.

That is where PASS can help. We centrally focus on abortion minded and abortion vulnerable women with the mission to reduce abortions, and we go further. Expectant Dads in crisis pregnancy situations are also offered services because we believe Fathers and Mothers when working together and in harmony is best for families.

At PASS we like celebrating Fathers and Mothers and the gift of life.

For His Children,

Rick Ligthart, President
PASS network of life-affirming care
708/614.9777
rick@passhelps.org