This year I am attending the National Stay at Home Dad's Convention in Washington DC. While I can afford to go by myself there are many that cannot. I invite you to help at-home dad, Carl Young, so he can attend this year’s At-Home Dads Convention in Washington, DC. He lives in North Dakota and deserves a little break and chance to meet other at-home dads!

The Scholarship Committee has already awarded two scholarships. And at this time does not have enough funds in the account to help Carl.

Log on to his website to make a donation.

http://whynotfathers.com/2012/08/fundraising-to-attend-at-home-dads-convention.html

For those people who wish to claim a tax write off, you can make a donation in Carl’s name through “The National At-Home Dads Network” website at www.daddyshome.org. The DONATE icon is at the top right-hand corner of the Home page. All donations above what is needed to help Carl will be bequeathed to the At Home Dad’s Scholarship fund to help other at-home dads attend the convention.

Here is an excerpt from his nomination submission, in which we ask the at-home dad to write why he would like to attend the convention:

My name is Carl Young and I’m a proud at-home dad. My wife Malette and I live in beautiful North Dakota. We are the parents of five children….Elizabeth, Kelsey, Cole, Tanner and Marc.

Marc is adopted, and was a special needs adoption. He was born addicted to meth and a host of illegal and legal drugs.

It hasn't been easy adopting a child like Marc. Marc has been diagnosed with anti-social behaviors (conduct disorder), a traumatic brain injury, fetal alcohol syndrome, reactive attachment disorder, facets of autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and severe ADHD.

We pursued adoption in part because I was adopted along with my brother and we felt it would be good to continue the tradition.

I want to further network with other fathers to find unique ways to serve stay at home dads. However, we don't have extra money for a trip to the convention. I have started to do some fundraising, but not sure how successful that will be.

Currently I serve other parents, especially dads, a number of ways.

1. Whynotfathers.com, which is showing dads that it is ok to talk about how they feel.
2. Through service on the board of directors for Family Voices of North Dakota.
3. I was appointed to the board of directors for North Dakota Committee for Protection and Advocacy.
4. I am a recent graduate of Partners in Policymaking, which was led by our regions ARC.
5. I also volunteer as a parent participant in the annual review of Title
V Block Grants for Region VII.
6. Currently I also serve on the "Task Force on Seclusion and Restraint."

I look forward to the opportunity to network with other stay at home dads.

Thank you for your consideration.

Carl Young
Chief Blogger
Whynotfathers.com