Former Steeler Urges Stronger Relationships During 'Dads Impact'
Story originally appeared in the Herald Standard on 11/18/2007

Former Pittsburgh Steeler Ted Petersen urges all parents to tell their children they love them at least once a day. "The most important things that we have are our relationships and they're worth working at," said Peterson, who was one of several guest speakers Saturday at an event called "Dads Impact" hosted by Dads Matter of Fayette County. Approximately 80 people attended the event held at the Lafayette School in Uniontown.

Dads Matter of Fayette County began last March and is a federally funded project of the Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette Inc. It hopes to equip fathers with the training and skills to be better parents.

Petersen spoke about his father and described him as a hard-working and honest man, but said that he cannot remember his father ever saying, "I love you" to him as a child. He knew his father loved him, but the words were never spoken, Petersen said.

Petersen said he was 26 years old before he built up the courage to tell his father that he loved him for the first time. Peterson said his father didn't say, "I love you" back, but responded, "We love you, too." Petersen said his father had to include his mother in the statement because "I love you" was something that his father never said.

"There is no substitute for the love of a father, or the love of a mother, in the life of a child," said Dr. Jeffrey Johnson, president and CEO of the National Partnership for Community Leadership in Washington, D.C.

Johnson is a national leader in the movement of fatherhood, having spoken before Congress numerous times about low-income fathers and strengthening families. He is also the author of the curriculum that Dads Matter uses.

During Johnson's presentation, he played an emotional television clip, which showed a young man's pain caused by an absent father. Johnson asked the audience what struck them about the clip and a number of audience members said they could relate to a mother who had to tell her child, "why dad's not there," a young man who was the son of an absentee father and a man who was an absentee father to his child.

Johnson said that a father's emotional and or physical absence in their child's life has an effect on children that lingers into adulthood.

The other speakers at the event were:
1. Joel Austin, president and CEO of Daddy UniverseCity Inc. in Philadelphia. Daddy UniverseCity provides services, information and products for fathers.
2. Harry Tender, who works at an outreach program in Philadelphia called the Philadelphia Comprehensive Center for Fathers.
3. Sheryl Heid, a local attorney who specializes in child custody, divorce and adoption and has a practice called "Family Matters" in Uniontown.
4. Nate Frezzell, a Uniontown resident, who spoke about the challenges and joys of being a young father.

The core of the Dads Matter program is its parenting education discussion group, which brings together fathers and mothers to discuss parenting topics, according to Dads Matter project supervisor Bill Heubner. Their discussion group takes place on Mondays from 6 to 8 p.m. and all services and events are free.

For more information or to become involved with Dads Matter, call 724-437-2590 or visit www.privateindustrycouncil.com.