A site for single dads

Mathis Winkler

NEWPORT BEACH -- When Luke Beato and James Van Orden heard about a new

support group for single dads in the city, the two men knew they had to

get involved.

“There’s not much support for single fathers at all,” Beato said.

“Sometimes it seems like a vast wasteland.”

The idea for the group came from Anthony Walker, another single dad

who had recently moved to Newport Beach from San Clemente and was looking

for things to do with his 4-year-old daughter, Jasmine.

And Beato and Van Orden, who work as executive director and chief

executive, respectively, of a Newport Beach-based company that hosts Web

sites, decided to use their talents to spread the word.

“Dads must know that there is a place to go where their concerns can

be met and discussed,” Beato said. “We want to champion the cause.”

To do so, the business duo has registered https://o7

www.thesingledadconnection.comf7 as the group’s future virtual home and

plans to have the site up and running by the end of the month.

The two men hope the site will give single dads a forum to discuss

concerns they share. They also plan to give free advertising space to

organizations that offer free services to single dads, while charging

companies that want to advertise things they sell.

“We will list activities geared for kids that dads can explore,” said

Beato, who has a 12-year-old son and a 10-year-old daughter. “Places to

go and activities to participate in, forums addressing single dad

concerns, child-care options, legal concern and resources to help dads be

better fathers.”

FYI

For more information on the group for single dads, call (949)

574-9999.