Josh Hernandez was aware he needed a little help.

He wanted his daughter, Nevaeh, to go to a good preschool.

On the advice of his friends, he went to Kalispell’s Nurturing Center where he was able to apply for a scholarship to help him out.

“I was working, a single parent,” Hernandez said. “She needed some schooling and the Nurturing Center made it affordable to go to school.”

Nevaeh, 5, attends Big Sky County Preschool & Infant Care thanks to her dad.

Hernandez is a success story for several reasons, but for the Nurturing Center, he is a success because he found a good job and earned his way out of the level for the scholarship.

His new job at First National Pawn is a welcome reprieve after the last few years.

“It’s great,” Hernandez said. “It’s the best job I’ve ever had.”

Before the pawn shop job, the Flathead High School graduate worked for Swank Enterprises and suffered a fall from 15 feet, shattering his elbow and fracturing his pelvic bone.

“I was laid up for a whole year,” Hernandez said. “It would be really tough to be where I am without the help I’ve received.

Some of that help came from his mother, Elaine Bennett.

“He’s an amazing dad,” she said of her son. “It’s the best thing about him. He takes care of her very well.”

While Nevaeh can be shy, she’s a smart, funny girl who loves computer games and her grandmother. After prodding from her dad, she admits she learned all about bees the other day in school. A papier-mâché beehive was one of the projects she worked on.

“She loves outdoor stuff,” Hernandez said. “I’ve been getting her into softball and she likes that so far. Fishing, being outdoors and lots of art stuff are all sorts of things she likes.”

Nevaeh splits time between her mother and Hernandez, but for Josh, Nevaeh is it.

“When I’m not working, I’m spending time with my kid,” he said. “That’s what I love doing.”

With Hernandez’s situation, money remains a concern, but the help of his family, the Nurturing Center and supportive friends, his daughter does not lack for resources.

The scholarship he applied for and won, the Best Beginnings Scholarship, allows working Montana families to provide for their children. Recipients must work a certain amount of hours, make below a certain monthly income and be prepared to make co-payments.

Hernandez said his experience with the center allowed him to literally get back on his feet after his accident and provide for Nevaeh.

“Kim was my case manager there,” he said. “She was so awesome, I could call her with questions any time of day and she was always available for me.”

While he continues to improve his life and the life of his daughter, Hernandez said raising a little girl has been an incredible opportunity and learning process.

“Being a dad can definitely change you,” he said. “I love being her dad and watching her grow. There’s a lot of stuff you didn’t pick up on when you were growing up that now you get to see through her eyes.”

Reporter Ryan Murray may be reached at 758-4436 or by email at rmurray@dailyinterlake.com.