For far too many decades of divorce proceedings, fathers were seen not as caregivers or positive influences on their children's lives, but as sources of monetary child support that mothers needed to raise children on their own. Fathers were rarely granted even partial child custody because it was assumed they couldn't do an adequate job of caring for a child.

Fortunately, attitudes have shifted and child support and custody are decided not based on gender, but on both parents' income, lifestyle and abilities to care for their children. Increasingly, fathers are stepping up to the task and insisting they be an active part of their child's lives. A new documentary being shot in Ohio aims to highlight this trend and inspire other fathers to gain skills that will make them better parents.

The film, to be shot over the next seven months, follows six fathers and their experiences in parenting. Scenes include a lesson for a group of new fathers on the best way to pass their newborns to another person, as well as a cooking glass at a local family center for fathers on how to prepare healthy meals. There are also testimonials from fathers who have gone through divorces, lost their jobs or been absent from their children's lives because of incarceration or custody issues.

"I don't think many people understand the pressure of being a father and being a man," one of the fathers in the film said. "You have to be strong and be head of the household, but you also have to be kind, gentle and nurturing to your children."

Studies show that when fathers are actively involved in their children's lives, their children are less likely to be incarcerated, live in poverty, drop out of school or become teenage parents. Local social service agencies hope the documentary will enable fathers who don't have a relationship with their children to make positive inroads.

"I think the documentary will show the barriers that fathers face in becoming good dads," said the executive director of the Cuyahoga County Fatherhood Initiative. "The majority of men want to be good fathers and want to be in their children's lives."

Source: Cleveland.com, "Challenges, rewards of fatherhood get attention in Cleveland-filmed documentary," Stan Donaldson, "Jan. 30, 2012