A metro father is turning his pain into action. Years of child support and visitation battles fueled him to help other fathers reconnect with their children.
The father of two, McDowell Howard, takes great pride in the work being done in the Overland Park home he's remodeling. His program participants are spearheading the project in hopes of helping themselves become better fathers.
McDowell is the founder of the McDowell Howard Fathers Group.
"Our focus is putting dads back together with their children, getting their child support paid, getting the arrears paid up," said Howard.
The group offers employment and housing opportunities to help fathers so they can pay off back child support and work toward having and enforcing visitation rights with their children. In the program, a paid child support receipt covers the month's rent so the fathers have a safe place to spend time with their children and money to support them.
Vernon Harper's child's mother moved out of state with their son. He owes more than $20,000 in back child support.
"I was homeless, depressed, really wishing I could be with my son. Since last summer, I've been able to talk to him once. She doesn't answer her phone," said Harper.
Melissa Mauer-Smith with the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office says the family support division's job is to ensure that the child is being properly supported by both parents; the custodial and non-custodial. Smith said visitation is not an area where the prosecutor's office can enforce under present regulations.
"We represent the child to make sure they are properly cared for under the state. In many cases there is a challenge that we are not aware of. We encourage clients to communicate with us," said Mauer-Smith.
Mauer-Smith said there is a not-for-profit organization called March Mediation that helps people work out child support and visitation issues. She encourages clients to use it in addition to mediation.
The McDowell Howard Fathers Group is having a fundraiser to help raise money to help more fathers. It will be on Saturday, June 19 at the Kitty Kat Klub at 11713 E. 23rd St. in Independence.
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