Originally reported in the Boston Globe.

"Spending Father’s Day with his son was especially significant for Tyler Stanton, who was released from the Hampshire County jail on parole this past fall.

Stanton is one of 73 men who have graduated from Hampshire’s Nurturing Fathers program, a 13-week course that provides guidance and counseling to fathers during their incarceration. The program began in 2016 after the Hampshire County House of Corrections partnered with the Children’s Trust, an organization that fights to stop child abuse in Massachusetts.

“I learned all kinds of different ways to deal with your children and with yourself — different viewpoints on everything from discipline to just being there for your child when they need you,” he said. “I just learned how to be a better dad.”

On Sunday, the Children’s Trust announced that it had expanded the program at Hampshire to provide additional guidance after they are released from jail. The 15-week program provides group-based and individualized support as participants transition back to active parenting. This extended counseling is offered at the Northampton Recovery Center for fathers after they’re released.

Read the full article at the Boston Globe.