Taking on the challenges of fatherhood, one phone call at a time

Perinatal Support Washington is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. The organization was started in 1989 as a way for parents to connect and find support during those really tough and bewildering years after a new baby arrives.  The organization may be best known for its “Warm Line,” where callers are connected with peers to talk about the challenges they face – including postpartum depression and infertility.  Childcare is a central issue in the 2024 presidential election, during the vice presidential debate last month between Senator JD Vance and Governor Tim Walz, there was an extended conversation about the challenges of raising children in the United States.  There was something familiar in the fact that they were two fathers, talking about support for mothers. That’s pretty common on the Warm Line, people who work there say dads often call in with concerns about a partner before realizing they need support, too. A recent survey from the Washington Fatherhood Council found that dads are in need of emotional and mental health support and face stigma around their roles in families, but dads are often conditioned to suppress or avoid feelings that are challenging around parenthood, which makes acknowledging the need for assistance difficult. Guests: Victoria Cherniak, senior warm line manager at Perinatal Support Washington Nathan Friend, dad specialist at Perinatal Support Washington Relevant Links: Perinatal Support Washington (1-888-404-7763) National Maternal Health Hotline   Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.