Missing Dad – The podcast that looks to answer the huge question – How do people cope without a father-figure?

We are always taught that a strong family is built on the structure of two present parents, there to guide a child through the first chapters of their life. What happens when you remove one of those key pillars from the family? Unfortunately, the sad truth is that not everyone grows up with a present and loving father. Some pass away, some spend years in prison, while others walk out on their families. Missed birthdays, absent holidays, first time shaving, and many more experiences all actively shape the child’s experience. How does this impact those children in the long term? And how do they fill that huge father-shaped hole in their lives?

Missing Dad is the brand-new cutting-edge podcast that looks at exactly that. Each episode poses the important questions raised by a lack of a male role model in a young child’s life, including thought-provoking and raw emotional interviews with those who have lived through the pain themselves. Where are all the fathers? Why do some people thrive without a father-figure? Why do others struggle with an absent male role model? Just how bad can things get? Is it ever past the point of repair, or is that father-child bond always there beneath the surface?

Missing Dad is brought to you by the minds behind Out Of The Ashes, a father-son team dedicated to changing the way parents reconnect with their children after prison. Coley Harris and his son Ahmarr Melton delve back into their own experiences through Ahmarr’s childhood. They look at the effect his father’s absence had on his day-to-day life, his development, and his life today. They use their real-life stories to connect with others who have gone through similar challenges, channeling their own pain for good.

After 14-years in prison, Coley was released and walked the first few steps along the path of redemption with regards to his son. This was a whole new experience for Ahmarr, after years of growing up without a father, suddenly Coley had appeared back in his life. All those years away could not stop Ahmarr’s anxiousness to build a relationship with his dad, even if he knew there was a lot of ground that needed to be covered.  After weekly meetings in the local park, re-opening old wounds and examining the true meaning of the father-son bond, they began to chip away at their barriers in order to strengthen the relationship.

Now Coley and Ahmarr want to share their story, and the stories of many others just like them, in order to promote public discussion of what is seen by some as a delicate and taboo subject.

Listen to The Missing Dad podcast here or wherever you listen to podcasts.