Jeanett Charles
Jeanett Charles, DADS - Divine Alternatives for Dads Services, COO & Co-Founder
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Over twenty-28 years ago, after overcoming their own struggles, Mrs.
Charles and her husband (Marvin) became committed to getting their children back from Child Protective Services (CPS). After successfully overcoming many
barriers faced by parents trying to reclaim their children from CPS, they
realized that fathers specifically faced a daunting task when attempting
to reconnect with their children. Now committed to helping other fathers
successfully navigate systems and re-unify with their children, together
Jeanett and Marvin founded DADS: Divine Alternatives for Dads Services.
She has managed to grow DADS from a grass roots, volunteer-based
organization, to an over $1,000,000 per year, multidimensional, direct
service agency. Her leadership has resulted in over 5,000 fathers being
served and over 13,000 children being reunited with their dads. 59% of
these fathers have a history of incarceration, 18% have a history of
substance use. 83% are men of color. DADS has developed a community
of fathers who continue to support one another in their recovery and in their life as engaged dads. Jeanett lights a way forward, even when others can’t see it.
A Mission to Restore Absent Fathers
This powerful, practice-centered session blends video, storytelling, and interactive dialogue to illuminate the lived realities behind father absence—and the proven pathways to restoration. Drawing on more than 26 years of work at DADS (Divine Alternatives for Dads Services), Marvin Charles outlines practical, replicable strategies that help fathers move from "ground zero" to engaged, effective parenting.
Participants will explore how DADS pairs accountability with compassion, integrates faith-informed hope with trauma-aware supports, and uses mentoring, skill-building, and systems navigation to reconnect fathers with their children. The workshop also highlights how community partnerships (courts, corrections, social services, and faith communities) can reduce barriers and accelerate reunification.
Rooted in Marvin's personal journey "from ruin to restoration," the session frames father engagement as both a healing practice and a systems-change strategy.
Attendees leave with a clearer understanding of what truly works—from intake to coaching to long-term support—and with actionable ideas to build or strengthen father-serving programs in their own communities.
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