About this episode

In this episode, Charles Daily discusses the challenges of building friendships as a dad and shares practical ways to connect with other fathers.

Crisis Lifeline: Call/Text 988 National Helpline 1-800-662-4357 Veterans Crisis Line (dial 988 then press 1) National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-SAFE) Fosterdaddirective@gmail.com In this episode of the Foster Dad Directive, I talk about fatherhood and the challenge of building real friendships as a dad, especially when life gets busy and priorities shift. Even though I’m fairly comfortable with technology and social media, I still find it difficult to connect with other people who share similar interests or life circumstances. I reflect on how most of my friendships are long-term but limited in number, and how becoming a parent—especially a foster parent—has changed both my social circle and the way I relate to others. I also share how past relationships, including friendships tied to drinking, faded as my life changed, reinforcing how hard it can be to build new meaningful connections in adulthood. I go on to discuss practical ways I’ve started trying to connect with other dads, such as using Facebook groups, local community events, and parenting-related meetups. I share my own experience joining a foster and adoption group that led to regular meetups, activities like…

People in this episode

Host: Charles Daily

Topics covered

• fatherhood
• friendship
• parenting
• social connections
• foster parenting
• community engagement

Keywords

• fatherhood
• friendship
• parenting
• social media
• foster parenting
• community events
• networking

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Crisis Lifeline, National Helpline, Veterans Crisis Line, National Domestic Violence Hotline, Facebook, foster and adoption group

More episodes of The Foster Dad Directive

• What to Consider When Having Your First Biological Child While Fostering · June 1, 2026 · 22 min
• Fostering a Runaway and Human Trafficking Target · June 1, 2026 · 22 min
• Night Shift, Day Parent. Schedule of a Night Shift Parent · May 11, 2026 · 29 min
• Foster Care Respite · April 20, 2026 · 13 min
• AI, Chatbots, and Children · April 13, 2026 · 26 min
• Starting to Stream on Twitch and Kick · April 11, 2026 · 4 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Foster Dad Directive podcast page.