Compton Leaders Unite at 6th Annual Father-Con Conference to Foster Fatherhood, Combat Homelessness and Human Trafficking 

By Marion Apio

Compton leaders and community advocates gathered in mid-April for the sixth annual Father-Con Conference, an event that highlights the critical role dads play in supporting their children and stemming human trafficking and homelessness.

Co-sponsored by Mayor Pro Tem Andre Spicer and hosted by the City of Compton, the April 17 and 18 summit featured workshops, a documentary premiere, and panel discussions aimed at providing men with the tools to become protective pillars within their homes and neighborhoods.

Father-Con founder and CEO Patrick Erlandson brought the conference to Compton to foster collaboration between local government and social services, noting that the city is a community of both great men and tremendous need.

“We wanted to come straight into Compton because there’s great things happening here and really wanted to show the world the different side of Compton,” Erlandson said. “This is a community that has been hit hard by not having stable homes, families and really wanted to bring a message here.”

Erlandson, who has spent eight years researching the roots of exploitation, noted that the absence of a healthy paternal bond creates a specific vulnerability that traffickers are trained to identify.

“If they never tasted what it’s like to be loved by a father in a healthy way, there’s a vulnerability, there’s an emptiness there that traffickers have learned to exploit very easily,” Erlandson said.

Spicer emphasized that social stability in Compton is hindered by a lack of resources for residents with past convictions.

Spicer highlighted the city’s expungement clinics—which provide free legal aid to seal or clear past criminal records—as a vital social intervention, reporting a significant impact on employment and securing housing.

For his efforts in supporting foster youth and public safety, Spicer was presented with the Legends Award by Dr. Lawrence Whitfield of Wise Up Ministries. 

Whitfield, a former foster youth, noted that while programs provide skills, fathers provide the “legendary” love and discernment necessary for a child’s safety.

Deatra Handy, leader of the Compton Human Trafficking Task Force and Program Director for Restoration Diversion Services, advocated for a comprehensive strategy involving fathers, traffickers and prevention measures.

Handy shared that her own upbringing by a single father served as a shield against the streets. 

“My father poured so much love into me that it actually prevented me from going in a lot of routes that I would have gone,” Handy said. “I had to make my daddy proud, no matter what.”

That message appeared to resonate with a trafficking survivor attending as a guest of the task force who said the summit gave her the “insight to call my dad back” and attempt reconciliation.

The conference featured a screening of the documentary No Address, directed by Julia Verdin, which explores the link between fractured family dynamics and the housing crisis. 

Several panels featured insights from Armand King, a former NFL player, Benjamin Kay, an associate director of SSG HOPICS, and Andrew Love of High Noon International. 

Addressing the city’s mental health needs, Victor Gabriel of the Compton Wellness Collective highlighted the work of founder Veronica to provide sliding-scale therapy for local men.

“We just try to do our best to bring healing to the hood, to the city,” Gabriel said. “We gotta do what we gotta do to make sure the kids are okay… ain’t no one gonna do it except us.”

The event also featured the presentation of the “Heart of a Father” award to Abel Prudhomme, an inner-city missionary in the Jordan Downs public housing complex, in recognition of his long-term community service.

“There are so many people who have gone above and beyond in their parental roles toward their own children and their community,” Erlandson said. “Abel is an outstanding example with the heart of a father.”

While presenting the award, Kay described Prudhomme as someone who cares deeply for both the local and faith communities.