Advocacy

Jeffrey Bernstein, a trained chef and professional food scientist, activist, spouse and parent found a unique form of self-expression after the passing of their father in 2020: painting nails. Initially, it was a way to maintain dexterity while staying home to raise their family, but it soon evolved into a powerful statement. Jeffrey's colorful nails, nail art, and general self-expression have become symbols of the belief that such forms of creativity are genderless.This journey ignited Jeffrey’s passion for teaching others about gender, sex, identity and self-expression, and now use their platform to be a change-maker, advocating for inclusivity and understanding.Jeffrey resides in Pennsylvania with their husband of over 15 years, whom they have known since they were teenagers, and their primary-school-aged twins.

I'm a stay-at-home dad with three kids: Aretta (16), Jeremiah (10), and Jaykub (5), who is on the autism spectrum. I became an at-home dad in 2010 after our move to Florida made childcare costs impractical. My kids are very active, and being home allows me to support their many activities. I found the National At-Home Dad Network while seeking community and have been an active participant since. I manage the newsletter, social media posts, and ran sound at the last Home Dad Con. I also run my son's school's chapter of All-Pro Dads and was named Volunteer of the Year for 2023/2024. My experience in organization, advocacy for special needs, and a passion for community building make me a strong candidate for the Board of Directors.

Nik has a decade of experience as an at-home dad of Neil (11), Casey (8), and Iris (4). Before becoming an at-home dad, Nik was a Special Education Teacher. He instructed students on the autism spectrum for several years. After planning trail walks and play dates as an at-home parent, He became an admin of a local parents group. A mutual friend from his hometown of Kansas City invited him to the network. Nik attended his first HomeDadCon in Minneapolis in 2019. Over the past several years, Nik moderated some network-adjacent online Mental Health groups. Nik served on the HomeDadCon planning committee for both Phoenix and Saint Louis. Nik is currently the speaker liaison for HomeDadCon Saint Louis. Nik became a Discord admin for the network last October. Nik has been a Brian Dickson Scholarship committee member for three years. Nik has
been the committee chair since this past November. Nik has served as a panelist on the Raising Kids with Disabilities Panel in 2022 in Phoenix. Nik is co-presenting the Safe Snacks Breakout with Kyle Denny this year in Saint Louis.

Danny has been a fulltime at home dad for 14 years, and has 4 kids ages 18, 15, 11, and 10. He believes that being an AHD is where he belongs, and he has found the greatest joy in providing care and guidance for his family. In the Network, Danny has worked to build acceptance for conversations and support around mental health and an inclusive dialogue in the Network’s social media outlets. He has been hosting weekly mental health support groups for 3 years, co-host of the Network’s official podcast, HomeDadChat, for well over 200 episodes, and chair of the moderator team for the Facebook page.

Danny is currently the Vice President of the Board of Directors, with his focus on building the greater community of fathers both inside and alongside the Network. His intentions in serving on the Board are to keep the momentum of growth and inclusion the Network has achieved so far, with a mind to always look for what’s best for the Network as a whole.

I'm running for the Board of Directors because the National At-Home Dad Network changed my life, and because I want other dads like me to have that same experience.
I live in Los Angeles with my wife and three boys (6, 4, and 1) and I found the NAHDN while desperately searching Google for any understanding of what it was like to be a stay-at-home dad. Since 2021, I’ve been an active member of the Book Club and I recently became an organizer with the LA chapter of City Dads Group.

In my spare time, I’m a freelance writer, blogger, and podcaster, and in my former life I was an aerospace engineer and project manager. I hope to combine my content-creating present with my analytical past to help reach more dads on both local and national levels.

Hello. I am Dale VanVlerah. I became primary caretaker to my three sons (15, 8, and 4) almost six years ago when my wife took an overnight position, and both of us working became impossible. I tried for a long time to go it alone, but eventually went looking for stay-at-home dad groups and found the NAHDN Facebook page in 2021. I’m currently the Volunteer Coordinator for the organization, monthly contributor to the newsletter, the facilitator of the Friday night Dads Gotta Talk mental health support group, an Admin for our Facebook page, a Lifetime Member of the organization, and I have served on two of the boards of directors within my Homeowners Association for the past two years. I look forward to seeing all of you and, hopefully, working for you on the Board.