By: Natalie Santoyo, MS, LMFT, Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Program Manager
El Centro de Amistad (ECDA), we believe that fathers and father figures play an irreplaceable role in the earliest chapters of a child’s life. That belief took center stage on Saturday, June 13th, when ECDA partnered with the City of San Fernando to host a Father’s Day Community Baby Shower and Resource Fair; a joyful gathering celebrating fathers, father figures, parents-to-be, and the little ones on the way.
Families joined us for a morning of connection, learning, and celebration. In a culture where parenting spaces are so often designed with mothers in mind, this event was intentionally created to welcome and honor dads. Affirming their essential role in nurturing, bonding, and building the foundation of their children’s emotional lives.
A Milestone Partnership with the City of San Fernando
This event marked an exciting first for our agency: our inaugural co-hosted event with the City of San Fernando, made possible through a newly established partnership between ECDA and the City. This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to strengthening families and expanding access to early childhood resources across our community.
Building partnerships like this one allows us to reach more families, pool community resources, and create welcoming spaces in the neighborhoods where families live. We are grateful to the City of San Fernando for their partnership and look forward to continuing this collaboration in service of children and families.
Supporting Fathers Through Nurturing Touch
The morning began with an introduction to infant massage, offered in both English and Spanish so that every family could participate fully in their preferred language. Fathers were guided in engaging in nurturing, regulating touch with their infants. Learning how gentle, intentional contact supports relaxation, eases discomfort, promotes healthy development, and deepens the bond between baby and caregiver. Fathers practiced alongside their own babies or with provided baby dolls, making the experience accessible to expectant dads as well.
Alongside the hands-on instruction, we explored a father’s unique role in early bonding and attachment, and how dads can learn to read and respond to their babies’ cues. Infants communicate long before they can speak, through crying, facial expressions, body movements, and sounds, and when fathers respond consistently and warmly, babies learn that they are safe, seen, and loved. These early moments of attuned connection are not small things; they are the building blocks of lifelong emotional health.
For many fathers, this was a rare opportunity to be centered as a caregiver, to ask questions, and to practice skills they could carry home that very day.
A Community of Resources
Following the infant massage instruction, families explored a resource fair featuring more than ten community partners and organizations. Families connected with essential information and services spanning food resources, childcare, Early Head Start education, health and wellness, family support services, and newborn care. Attendees also participated in a raffle giveaway, sending families home with items to support them in this important stage of life.
The resource fair reflected one of the core purposes behind these events: serving as an entry point into a broader network of care. When families leave with new relationships, trusted contacts, and knowledge of the supports available to them, the impact of a single morning extends far beyond the event itself.
Celebrating Fathers, Strengthening Families
This event was a fitting way to honor Father’s Day, not only with celebration, but with meaningful investment in the fathers of our community. Research and lived experience alike tell us that when fathers are engaged, supported, and equipped in their children’s earliest years, children thrive. By creating a space where dads felt welcomed, valued, and empowered, we reinforced a simple truth: the love that holds families together deserves to be nurtured, too.
We extend our deepest gratitude to the City of San Fernando, our community partners, and the ECDA staff and volunteers whose dedication made this event possible. As we continue our mission of supporting children and families from the very beginning, we look forward to more opportunities to celebrate, educate, and connect – together.
