On January 27th, twelve fathers dressed in graduation robes walked down the aisle of the jurors lounge at the 2012 Fathering Court Graduation Ceremony. The Fathering Court is now in its fourth year. Over that time, the program has graduated more than 50 fathers, and each graduate has overcome the lowest of lows: they were all incarcerated, they were all separated from their children during that time, they all owed child support and they returned to no job and a lot of doors closed to them.

The Fathering Court enables fathers to support and connect with their families. The program was created in response to studies that found that one in four adults returning to the community in DC owed court-ordered child support. This program works to help fathers reconnect with their children, not just financially, but emotionally.