About
A place for dads to be people.
There are plenty of things parents are expected to figure out. Finding a few people who understand shouldn’t be another difficult one.
It started with a question.
Jason, Ty, and Josh became involved in disability advocacy through their own families’ experiences with neurodivergence, accommodations, and public schools. As board members of the Leander ISD Special Programs Parent Advisory Council (SPPAC), they often found themselves the only fathers in the room.
Instead of asking why dads weren’t coming to existing programming, they asked what would happen if the experience were designed around them.
So we got a table.
The first Dadvocates gathering was at Slackers Brewing in December 2025. Around 20 fathers and male caregivers came together. They talked, and it was awesome. From there, they tried a few more locations around the district and continued to see how special these meetups were becoming.
Those early experiences gave them a reason to keep going. They were an encouraging start, and proof that they needed to keep expanding to connect with as many of y’all as possible.
Belonging before programming.
We make room for conversation and friendship first. Useful advice, resources, and advocacy can grow from people knowing each other. There’s no requirement to explain your family, be inspirational, or have all the answers.
Greater Austin. Independent.
Dadvocates is now an independent community for fathers and male caregivers across Greater Austin. Leander ISD and SPPAC are part of the origin story, not parent organizations. We welcome families from every school setting, and families whose children are well beyond school age.
Jason, Ty, and Josh helped start this. A community of dads will shape what it becomes.
You don’t have to have it figured out.