Mississippi expands fatherhood support with new ProFathering15 virtual program

by Kristen Kaylor • Published on September 22, 2026 • Comments

A graphic for ProFathering15, promoting healthy father-child relationships.
Photo Courtesy: The Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS)

Children with absent fathers face increased risks of poverty, behavioral challenges and involvement in crime according to data from the National Fatherhood Initiative . As Mississippi works to address those issues, state officials are expanding efforts to make sure fathers help with resources and guidance.

Kristen Kaylor

Mississippi expands fatherhood support with new ProFathering15 virtual program

Denise Wesley, Director of the Child Support Division at the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) said the agency is building more resources for fathers who may need direction but cannot attend in-person programs.

ProFathering15 is a new virtual program created by MDHS that provides training videos on topics like fatherhood, co-parenting, childhood development and other resources to help fathers become more involved. Fathers can access the courses from phones, tablets or computers at anytime, anywhere.

“This is a course that is self-paced, so the father doesn't have to complete it all at one time. It consists of 15 segments that are 15 minutes apiece, and they can access it on their mobile device. So this makes it in some ways a lot easier for fathers to complete,” Wesley said.

The department announced a request for information on Sept. 18 to find fatherhood organizations across Mississippi. Wesley said the agency plans to partner with groups that can help expand access to the program and to add resources that fathers may need.

“We are really encouraging all organizations that serve fathers in any way to respond and let us know what you're doing, let us what your mission is, what your target is, what your goal is,” Wesley said. “This will help The Mississippi Department of Human Services to have a really good idea of the lay of the land, of what father-serving organizations are offering to fathers in Mississippi.”

Filer image — Derian Knox with the Mississippi Organization of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
Galean Stewart

Derian Knox, Fatherhood and Mentoring Initiative chair and Public Relations Director for the Mississippi Organization of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated said having a fully online resource will help fathers with full schedules or those who might feel uncertain about attending in-person classes or workshops.

“The information is readily available. And I think we also kind of sometimes struggle with pride. We don't want to show up in a room and say, hey, I need someone to teach me how to be a better father,” Knox said. “So if I can access this information in the privacy of my own home on my time, and I can go back to it and refer to it in time I need to, and I think that's definitely a game changer.”

Knox said easy access to training can encourage fathers to seek guidance out more proactively. As an assistant principal, Knox said many fathers he interacts with are highly involved with their children's lives.

“I think organizations like this, it just gives you that extra little push that you need with the resources and with the information to help you be a better father. Because I haven't met a man yet that doesn't want to be the best version of himself, so his child can be the best version themselves.”

Organizations interested in collaborating with MDHS can visit the agency’s website MDHS website and reply to the request listed on the procurement services page.