In a society where fatherlessness and broken family systems continue to take a toll on communities, TYRO Dads is rewriting the narrative. Designed specifically for incarcerated and at-risk fathers, TYRO Dads is not just a program—it’s a proven path to personal transformation, generational healing, and long-term family success. Its extraordinary success rate in building stronger father-child relationships and reestablishing life-changing success sequencing is capturing national attention for good reason.
At its core, TYRO Dads equips men with the tools, mindset, and resilience to reclaim their roles as committed fathers and responsible leaders in their families. The program’s curriculum—developed by Ron and Cathy Tijerina after Ron’s own 15-year incarceration—uses a trauma-informed, character-building approach that tackles deep-rooted issues of identity, self-worth, and emotional regulation. But this isn’t just about reflection; it’s about action. The Tijerinas created TYRO Dads because they knew the power of a father’s presence—and what happens when that presence is taken away. Their firsthand experience led to a transformational program that now serves thousands of fathers in prisons, reentry centers, and community settings across the country.
What makes TYRO Dads so effective is its focus on internal transformation that leads to outward change. Fathers are challenged to take full responsibility for their past, reject a victim mindset, and begin living with honor and intentionality. Through structured peer sessions, facilitator-led exercises, and personal accountability, TYRO Dads creates an environment where men rebuild themselves from the inside out—and then reenter their children’s lives with clarity, consistency, and purpose.
The results speak powerfully. In 2017, just 7.4% of TYRO Dads participants returned to prison within a year—compared to 12.2% of comparable individuals who did not go through the program. This 40% reduction in recidivism illustrates how deeply TYRO Dads impacts not only individual fathers but also the broader community. Lower incarceration rates mean more children with present fathers, more stable households, and fewer generational cycles repeated.
Graduates of TYRO Dads describe a new sense of identity. They are no longer defined by their mistakes, but by their commitments—to their children, their partners, and their futures. At the close of each program cycle, participants receive TYRO pins during a formal graduation, signifying their transformation. Many go on to join the TYRO Alumni Community, where ongoing mentorship and accountability help them sustain their growth long after the course ends.
TYRO Dads is more than a curriculum—it’s a catalyst for generational restoration. With a framework built on identity, discipline, and responsibility, it provides fathers with a renewed purpose and a roadmap to becoming the men their children need. And in doing so, it helps families heal, reconnect, and thrive for the long haul.