Breaking The Cycle

Most dads will tuck their kids in tonight. Ask about school. Say I love you one more time before the light goes off. Ordinary. Every day stuff that gets taken for granted.

Except for 1.5 million American kids right now, that moment doesn't happen, because dad is in prison. More than 5 million children, 7% of every kid in this country, will experience a parent's incarceration before they turn 18. In California alone, 292,000 kids are living it right now. California also holds the largest population of incarcerated mothers in the country, many with little or no contact with their own children.

That's what Camp Agape California exists to do. Each Labor Day weekend, 200+ kids of incarcerated parents get a camp built entirely around them, completely free of charge. Over the 4-day experience, these "angels" experience spiritual, social, and relational growth, all infused with fun and served by incredible volunteers.

The organization behind it is fittingly named Breaking the Cycle CA. BTC partners with Prison Fellowship to serve this vulnerable population of children. The data is clear: without intervention, these kids are at serious risk of repeating the very cycle that shaped their childhood. Camp Agape exists to interrupt it and give them hope for a different future (Jeremiah 29:11).

Albert and Beth Canul know that cycle firsthand. While they already shared 2 children together, they married while Albert was incarcerated, serving a ten-year sentence. Albert had grown up without his own father and swore he wouldn't repeat it, but multiple prison stints later, he was living the same pattern anyway. Everything shifted when their kids were invited to Camp Agape. When Beth picked her son up after his first week, he ran to her in tears. She braced for the worst. Instead, he said, "I felt loved. I really loved it here."

Albert was released in 2022. He participated in a Dad Academy cohort as he began reintegrating with his family. Today he and Beth volunteer at the same camp that changed their daughters' and son's lives, and their family, for good.

🧠 What the Research Shows

As the camp's pastor, I was privleged to co-author a published study on Camp Agape's spiritual outcomes. The vast majority of campers reported that their time at camp had a positive impact on their connection to God, and 96 percent accepted Jesus as their Savior. Research on adolescents attending summer camps found that campers who had a genuine spiritual experience showed an increased sense of purpose, psychological well-being, and community participation afterward, and that kind of spiritual development has been linked to long-term resilience in young people who've faced real adversity. It's no surprise that one of the campers' favorite parts of camp isn't an activity: it's their mentors. A caring adult who makes a real connection leaves an impact that outlasts camp itself.

Kids who go through Camp Agape don't just survive their childhood. Many become the first in their family to attend college, adults who break a cycle their family had been living for generations.

If you tucked your kid in tonight without a second thought, that's not a small thing. It's a privilege most fathers in this story never had. But your presence was never meant to stop at your own front door. A father's job isn't only to show up for his own family. It's to notice when a kid down the street, or across the state, doesn't have anyone showing up for them at all.

Fatherlessness doesn't have to determine a child's future. But breaking that cycle requires someone willing to step into the space that's been left behind. That could be you, dad.

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About the Author

Jeff Hamilton is the founder of Dad Academy® and author of Dad Academy: Raising Courageous, Capable, Confident Kids. For more than 30 years, he has helped fathers move from intention to action, building stronger families and more connected communities. His work through Dad Academy combines timeless principles, credible research, and practical tools to help fathers lead with clarity, parent on purpose, and leave a lasting legacy.

Equipping Fathers. Building Legacies.

About Dad Academy®

Dad Academy® exists to help fathers parent on purpose.

We believe a father’s mission is to pass on his values and his skills so his children are prepared for life.

Through practical tools, timeless principles, credible research, and ancient wisdom, we equip dads to clarify their values, teach essential life skills, shape a healthy family culture, and build a lasting legacy.

Since 2015, Dad Academy has helped fathers move from good intentions to intentional action by giving them the clarity, confidence, and practical plan to become the dad they want to be.