Hello,

You may have followed the blog entries written here by Rich Batten.  I am sorry to report, for those that followed his thoughts and ideas, that Rich has taken a job of national scope with Public Strategies.   He is now the project manager for the National Healthy Marriage Resource Center.

Beginning today, I will attempt to give this blog some life again.  My name is Dan Welch and my journey to this point in time as been one made purely without planning.  I graduated from college with degrees in history and philosophy, with some notion that a degree in my back pocket may someday help me.  I suppose that came true when I applied to work for a job with the Colorado Department of of Labor and Employment and ended up working for them for 10 years, largely in the capacity of working with job seekers and employers to seek and/or feel job vacancies.

Then, 20 years ago, I applied for a position for the state Child Support Enforcement (CSE) program.  Not really even knowing what was all involved.  What I found was fascinating.  To shorten this introduction, let me just say I became the state CSE grant manager and that included demonstration grants to improve child support outcomes, which led to the realization that not all dads are "dead beats" but rather "dead broke".  So, programs were born from the grants that allowed for collaborations with the Department of Corrections, improving access and visitation processes for dads, to arrears forgiveness programs and even creating father programs with the main intent of creating a voice for fathers and educating fathers about the complexity of CSE.

Most recently I worked two years administering the CSE program for southern Wyoming, and finding the work of changing attitudes towards fathers was again a major challenge for me. 

Luckily, for me, I was able to come back to our beautiful state and work again for the state and in a role I firmly believe in through my years with CSE.

I hope to share more of this journey moving forward, and of my thoughts and those of others that I have seen formulated over the years.

Thank you,

Dan