Story about South Carolina dad and the South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families receives national attention

Wednesday, December 27, 2023

Tags: South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families , Outreach

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The South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families has been helping fathers like Lorin Jackson for 25 years. By completing the center's program and getting help along the way, he was able to get the only gift he wanted this Christmas, legal shared custody of his son. WACH FOX57 in Columbia, South Carolina, ran a story about Jackson and his work with the center, with multiple NBC affiliates across the country picking up the story and running it on Christmas day.

The text of the story is below. The WACH video is available here.

Determined South Carolina dad earns shared custody through fatherhood program

by Dejon Johnson, Kei'yona Jordon
WACH FOX57

Just months ago, the only memories Lorin Jackson could make with his one-year-old son Kaysaun were during controlled visits by the Department of Social Services.

Jackson says his son has been in foster care for several months during a custody battle between him and his ex-wife.

"I'm thankful and appreciative of him being able to be here with me and for him to be a part of what we got going on," said Jackson.

In order to get custody of his son, Jackson says he had to complete classes with the South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families program.

"Our goal is to bring that dad up to where he feels confident with himself and confident with the relationship with his child," said Lawrence Ford, SC Center for Fathers and Families.

Jackson says court mandated requirements to get shared custody were extensive, but the fatherhood program helped him every step of the way.

"I went from a fight for my kid to get him out of a system to a fight for my kid a plan for him to go to college," said Jackson.

The program teaches things like economic stability, co-parenting, building and understanding relationships, and helping fathers through the child support system.

Lessons Jackson says allowed him to get the only gift he wanted this Christmas, legal shared custody of his son.

"It's a necessity to be there for your kids," said Jackson.

The South Carolina Centers for Fathers and Families was founded 25 years ago and has helped more than 25,000 fathers like Jackson.

They have five regional centers with 15 offices that serve all 46 counties including the Midlands Fatherhood Coalition.

The South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families is a ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System.