Dan Castrigano chats about water safety with Jess Lukas, Director of Aquatics at The Greater Burlington YMCA. Dan and Jess discuss water safety statistics, racial disparities in drownings, best practices for water safety with children, different flotation devices, and much more.

Thank you to members of the Dad Guild community who submitted questions and ideas that helped guide this episode, including Connor Ballantyne, David Runge, Thomas DeSisto, and Jordan Black-Deegan.

Jess recommends The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee and Contested Waters: A Social History of Swimming Pools in America by Jeff Wiltse to learn more about racism, segregation, and swimming in the United States.

Members of Dad Guild's sixth New Dad Cohort reflect on their experience participating in New Dad Cohort VI, which ran from January to June 2026.

New Dad Cohorts provide an opportunity for new dads to get together, support each other, and share the successes and challenges of being a new dad. Each cohort meets monthly for six months.

Dad Guild started running these groups in 2023, and a new cohort now begins every three months. Upcoming cohorts include New Dad Cohort VIII (beginning July 2026) and New Dad Cohort IX (beginning October 2026).

Thank you to James Robertson, Ryan DiNapoli, Anurag Allena, Griff Keating, Sam Dillner, Ben Bonaccio, Raphael Sacks, Michael Giguere, and Henry Epp for participating in the cohort and recording testimonials for this podcast.

Dan Castrigano speaks with ADHD Coach Rebecca De Ornelas about parenting children with ADHD.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common mental disorders affecting children. Symptoms of ADHD include inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. (American Psychiatric Association)

Dan and Rebecca discuss a host of topics, including different presentations of ADHD, rejection sensitive dysphoria, masking, and the positive and negative messaging about ADHD. Rebecca also shares three helpful tools for parents and caregivers: previewing, the 1% rule, and unpacking the ask. Finally, Rebecca discusses the importance of self-compassion in navigating the challenges and joys when parenting your child with ADHD.

To learn more about Rebecca and her work, visit boldistheword.com.

If you'd like to join Dad Guild's ADHD support group on WhatsApp, send a message to dan@dadguild.org so Dan can send you the link.

Dad Guild hosted its inaugural Dad Trek Fundraiser on Saturday, May 30th! Trekkers walked 10 miles from Red Rocks Park in South Burlington to Airport Park in Colchester, taking turns pulling each other in three rickshaws. (Dads supporting dads, get it?!)

Thank you to the 23 trekkers who participated and all those who supported Dad Guild.

Special thanks to those who contributed to the podcast, including David Runge, Thomas Carlson, Sam Lipschutz, David Pozo, Collin O'Leary, Michael Giguere, Dan Brett, Sam Dillner, Michael Chaucer, Steve Hill, Corey Woloschin, Matt Kobzik, Corey Tillson, Dave Greiner, Alex Melville, Marlon Fisher, Sarah Caliendo, Javi Kadry, Griff Keating, and Keegan Albaugh.

We are already looking forward to Dad Trek II!

Dan Castrigano chats with local stand-up comedian and dad Alex Duval about his experience with infertility and his journey to fatherhood.

Alex discusses his journey navigating infertility, his experience with IUI and IVF, and what it felt like to hold his son Robin for the first time. Alex also shares his experience participating in Dad Guild's New Dad Cohort IV, a monthly peer support group for first-time fathers.

If you are struggling with infertility, know that you are not alone. We love you.

Alex's Substack: https://alexcduval.substack.com/

Alex's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexcduval/

Marlon Fisher and Dan Castrigano chat with Tim Durney, Director of Mental Health Urgent Care in Burlington. Mental Health Urgent Care is a program of the Howard Center in collaboration with the University of Vermont Medical Center, Community Health Centers, and Pathways Vermont.

Tim discusses services provided at Mental Health Urgent Care, the intentional design of the space, and how it differs from other medical providers.

Marlon and Dan also share their stories about accessing services at Mental Health Urgent Care while they were struggling with their mental health.

As Tim says in the episode: "Asking for help is a strength."

Mental Health Urgent Care Website: https://howardcenter.org/mhuc/

Marlon Fisher's sons Percy and Malachai were recently sick, so they stayed home from school with their dad. Having some time on their hands, Marlon brought out the podcasting gear and recorded this episode with his boys.

The trio discuss how to take care of each other when someone is sick and how Marlon "cooks" on the basketball court at Dad Guild basketball on Tuesday nights. Percy and Malachi also share about their favorite Dad Guild activities, including the Toast and Jams concert series and going camping in the summer.

Enjoy this glimpse into fatherhood around the kitchen table.

Dan Castrigano chats about Overdose Prevention Centers (OPCs) with Bella Fearn. Bella is a member of the Vermont Harm Reduction Advocates and a community organizer with the BTV Clean Up Crew.

Dan and Bella discuss the current status of an Overdose Prevention Center in Vermont, services provided by OPCs, and the community impacts of OPCs. Dan and Bella also share age-appropriate language that Dads and all caregivers can use when talking about this topic with their children.

For more information and a full list of sources, check out this slideshow.