CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Being a stay-at-home dad was something Rajuhon Jones never imagined he’d be doing.

“It’s unique to go from 70 hours a week, never see your kids to now seeing your kids everyday,” he says.

Long hours at work means he missed out on a lot at home. He spent nearly 20 years in construction before he was laid off, and soon he began struggling to pay his child support.

"I missed out on baseball,” Jones says. “ I missed out on their education… a lot of stuff you take for granted. You can’t take time back.”

He says his spouse took control of finances. Then a unique opportunity presented itself to him.

“My counselor for child support, he sent me a letter and he had a pamphlet that had fatherhood,” says Jones. “He said hey reach out to these guys and they gave me an opportunity to call them.”

That phone call led him to Kelly Little who introduced Jones to the Mecklenburg Empowering Fathers Program.

“It’s such an amazing experience and many of the men come to the table with a lot of great skills, but they don’t have a lot of the support,” says Little. “They don’t have the understandings of how to navigate some of the systems and institutions that they may face.”

The county program provides workforce development trainings, careers fairs, and other tools to help fathers who are currently paying child support.

“We say program, but really this is about changing lives. So, this is creating an institution that will give them the resources to navigate in any situation,” Little says. “If they are not given a seat at the table, they know how to build a table to sit at.”

Jones is now on the fast track to publishing a book. The program connected him to a six-month course for all the resources he needed.

He’s also on a path to finding the perfect job that will still allow him to be at home with his kids.

“I think me being at home with my kids, I had to self evaluate myself like this is a season I need to go through and learn a new career, a new craft,” Jones says.

It’s a path Jones didn’t see himself on, but he’s excited for what’s next, and helping others along the way.

“I’m planning to be in the program as long as they keep me so I can help someone else,” he says.

Jones is also in the process of getting his life and health insurance license, and working to become a motivational speaker.

This program is available to those who are currently on child support. Those who have questions about the program can call this number 704-340-1875.