Douglas County honors local dads group for mental health support

Douglas County singled out two homegrown dad groups for doing more than showing up at parades and fundraisers. Dads of Castle Rock and Dads of Parker have become informal support networks for fathers and men dealing with isolation, sobriety, crisis response and mental health needs, at a time when county leaders are treating fatherhood support as a community-health issue.

The county’s attention to the groups came as officials tied Father’s Day recognition to Men’s Mental Health Month and a broader push to get men to talk about stress, screenings and emotional well-being. Douglas County proclaimed May 1 through May 31, 2026, as Mental Health Awareness Month, and in 2024 it also recognized June as Men’s Health Month, urging men to make mental health a priority.

That focus is rooted in local data. Douglas County’s Community Health Improvement Plan says the share of adults reporting 14 or more mentally unhealthy days rose from 6.3% in 2013 to 9.0% in 2020. The county also built its own health system after voters approved leaving Tri-County Health Department in September 2021, and Douglas County Health Department began public services on June 1, 2022.

Dads of Castle Rock has already been on the county’s radar. Douglas County adopted Resolution R-022-006 on January 25, 2022, formally commending the group for its contributions. The organization says it began in 2019 as a Facebook joke and grew into a nonprofit centered on support, vulnerability and measurable community impact. Today, it says it is involved in crisis and disaster response, sobriety and mental health programs, and an annual Adopt A Family effort, while also showing up at Starlighting, Trunk or Treat and the Douglas County Fair parade.

Its fundraising has grown along with its footprint. The group’s 2024 Formal raised $53,627 from 198 supporters and included more than 100 silent-auction items donated by 75 local businesses and individuals. It also held an annual blood drive with Vitalant on June 6, 2026, at the Douglas County Fairgrounds Event Center. Vitalant said the Dads of Castle Rock community has helped collect more than 800 units of blood since the drive began.

Dads of Parker is smaller in profile but serves a similar purpose. The Parker Chamber of Commerce describes it as promoting relationships with local dads, helping those in need and building ties across the community. Another listing calls it a service-focused group of dads whose mission is to bring men together for community service.

Colorado’s fatherhood network has framed that work in broader terms, saying it aims to strengthen fathers’ roles in families, accountability and mentorship. With seven programs operating at nine locations, the state’s fatherhood program points to the same gap Douglas County is trying to address: many men need structured support before a crisis becomes a public-health problem.