I view my future as being bright. As long as I can support and provide for my children and keep them on the right path.

Growing up in Chicago’s Back of the Yards Neighborhood, Larry Morris recalls “a lot of drug-selling, drug usage, gang-banging and poverty.”

He contrasts those memories with the experience of first becoming a father. “Becoming a father was wonderful,” he says. He also, however, calls it “shocking and scary.”

Morris does odd jobs to provide for his children and their mothers; he has also played indoor professional football. He says his goal is “to get employment and be able to gain growth in a company.” “When I’m employed, I make my child support payments,” Morris says. “My experience with child support is that it accumulates real quick and fast.” He adds that child support should change its ways “just a little to make it feasible for the fathers trying and wanting to be in their child’s life.”

Morris often comes back to the theme of communication when talking about his relationship with the mothers of his children. “Our relationships are OK – we still have arguments from time to time. One thing I like to change is our communication. The biggest barrier to having a healthy working relationship is being on the same page.” Meanwhile, Morris describes his relationship with his “kids” as “fine.” “The biggest barrier I have for my children is not being there every day.”

Participating in FFHC activities, he says, has helped him address various barriers. “It made me do a lot of thinking,” he says of FFHC’s peer-to-peer activities. “I communicate better with the mother of my kids.”

“I view my future as being bright,” he adds. “As long as I can support and provide for my children and keep them on the right path.”