Backyard Dads group aims to connect fathers across Otter Tail County

Backyard Dads is taking shape in Otter Tail County as a place for fathers to find conversation, parenting help and a local network of men facing the same day-to-day pressures. Battle Lake father Josh Harworth said the new group would be a “great asset” for both new and experienced fathers, and he said he joined the Facebook group because he has a teenage daughter.

The group is being described as “a resource and an outlet for dads, from dads,” a plainspoken pitch that fits a county where fathers can live miles apart and still be trying to solve the same problems at home. Backyard Dads is aimed at men who want a place to talk through fatherhood, compare notes and build connections beyond their own households, whether they are raising young children or navigating the teenage years.

Otter Tail County already points fathers to another support option through its Family Resources and Child Support Services pages: the MAHUBE-OTWA Fathers’ Resource Program. The program serves a nine-county area that includes Otter Tail, Becker, Clay, Grant, Morrison, Pope, Todd, Traverse and Wilkin counties, and it says its services are confidential and tailored to individual needs. It offers help with parenting information, discipline, child development, conflict resolution, one-on-one support and referrals.

County Human Services also says it recognizes the importance of a child’s relationship with both mother and father, and cites research on the benefits of father involvement in children’s lives. That county stance gives Backyard Dads added context: the new group is not replacing formal services, but it is trying to fill a practical gap with peer support, especially for fathers who want advice, encouragement and a place to show up without judgment.