Knoxville Family Justice Center, State Child Support Office Host Successful Fathers and Family FunFest
The Knoxville Family Justice Center, in partnership with the State of Tennessee Child Support Office, 6th Judicial District, hosted the Fathers and Family FunFest on Saturday, June 28, 2025, at the Family Justice Center, 400 Harriet Tubman St. The free event welcomed families from across the community to enjoy a day of celebration, connection and access to vital local resources.
The FunFest featured a creative “drive-in style” movie experience, where children watched Cars while seated in cardboard boxes designed as cars. Volunteers from the University of Tennessee Kappa Delta alumni group, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office Family Crimes Unit and the Knoxville Family Justice Center helped prepare the colorful cardboard vehicles by painting and decorating them in advance.
Meanwhile, fathers and noncustodial parents explored resource tables hosted by more than 30 community organizations, each offering tools and information to help strengthen families and support co-parenting.
“We were honored to co-host an event that not only brought families together in a fun and meaningful way but also connected them to services that make a real difference,” said Michelle Clayton, executive director of the Knoxville Family Justice Center. “Our goal was to celebrate the importance of fatherhood while ensuring that families know where to turn for help and support if they need it.”
Kathy Solomon, resource coordinator for Child Support Services of Tennessee, 6th Judicial District, said “The overall event was a success in sharing information and helping everyone better understand what the other agencies offer. Our projected goal was to bring awareness to fathers and families who need services to become productive co-parents. All agencies and companies took time out of their busy schedules to make sure the community knows what’s available. By working together, we all can make a difference.”
Community partners that provided resources included:
Knoxville Academy of Medicine, Roane State Community College, Step Up Knoxville, Resilient Families, University of Tennessee Child Support Employment and Parenting Program, CASA of East Tennessee, Yo Stem, Knoxville-Knox County CAC Education and Re-Entry, Apprenticeship Tennessee, American Job Center, Express Employment Professionals, Metro Drug Coalition, Community Mediation Center, Lincoln Memorial University Dental Hygiene Program, House-Hasson, Knoxville Community Development Corporation, Tennessee Department of Human Services Child Support Re-Entry Unit, Knoxville Police Department, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, University of Tennessee Winston College of Law Legal Clinic, Tennessee Labor & Workforce Development, Knoxville Preparatory School, Great Smoky Mountain Council of Scouting America, WestCare Tennessee’s Zero Suicide Program, TN Voices, Formative Futures, Gennisi Charitable Birth Services, Kaiser Restorations, Childhelp and Derrick Stone Safe Sleep.
Sponsors who made the event possible were:
House-Hasson, Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee, Kaiser Restorations, Blue Bell Ice Cream, Harman Ice and the Everett family.
For more information about the Knoxville Family Justice Center, visit https://fjcknoxville.org.
