The Dovetail Project prepares young fathers

The Dovetail Project recently hosted its 28th graduation ceremony. PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE DOVETAIL PROJECT.
The Dovetail Project recently hosted its 28th graduation ceremony. PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE DOVETAIL PROJECT.

The Dovetail Project prepares young fathers

By Tia Carol Jones

Sheldon Smith founded the Dovetail Project in 2009 as a way to support young fathers and help them to be better prepared. Smith grew up with teen parents who struggled as young parents, and at the time, he was set to become a father at the age of 21.

Recently the Dovetail Project celebrated its 28th graduation class. Those graduates will go on to receive either a job, a GED, or a skilled trade opportunity, along with a $500 stipend and 24 months of case management services.

The Dovetail Project serves young Black and Hispanic men ages 17 to 24 years of age , with the goal to make a positive impact on them so they can make a positive impact on their families. The 12-week program teaches the young men and the Outreach team members who are on the ground, recruit young fathers and encourage them to apply for the program. 

During an orientation the participants learn about the program and the team members learn about the participants. If necessary, the Dovetail Project refers those who attend orientation to other agencies that can help them, or those young men are moved along for preparation to the program. The 12-week program is a curriculum- based initiative that teaches parenting skills, life skills and Felony Street Law, which looks at family law and the criminal justice system.

The participants are picked up, dropped off and given a meal. Smith said it is important to provide a meal and transportation to the participants, because as a father, the young men might have to choose between diapers, transportation and food. He said providing transportation gives the fathers a chance to breathe and engage with their peers, so that they can be prepared to learn.


“Them knowing that we are an agency that, not only saw them on the street, and recruited them to take them to a better destination, we also want to be side-by-side with them. We want to meet them at the level where they are,” Smith said.


Smith said that the young men in the program have been given the opportunity to be in a better position than when they started in the program. Young fathers who have completed the program have jobs as security guards in banking and the trades. Two young men who completed the program have become Cook County Sheriffs. The Dovetail Project has a partnership with the Lurie Children’s Hospital that provides workforce development skills and support to the participants in the program. He said the program and the partnerships have been able to create opportunities for the fathers that they really needed. 


“While we have done so much in 15 years, I feel like it is just a drop in the bucket. The dads we are hearing from right now and the issues they are facing, holistically, from housing to homelessness, to food, to finding economic support, to having a hub where they can get additional help and support around mental health, I feel like we’re just scratching the surface,” Smith said. He said the bold vision of the Dovetail Project is to keep going and to also continue to provide support and go to higher heights.


Smith said fathers need help and the Dovetail Project has been ringing the alarm and providing help. He added that collaboration has been a critical asset to the work they do. He said he is grateful to the partner agencies, individual donors, private family foundations and corporate sponsors who help move the mission.


Smith said that fatherhood is in need of additional support and philanthropy. He wants people to look at their local fatherhood organizations and think about how they can get involved.


For more information about the Dovetail Project, visit thedovetailproject.org.



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