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Journal Article We investigated children and families who were participating in a mentoring program targeting children with incarcerated parents. Using multiple methods and informants, we explored the development of the mentoring relationship, challenges and benefits of mentoring children with incarcerated parents, and match termination in 57 mentor-child dyads. More than one-third of matches terminated during the first 6 months of participation. For those matches that continued to meet, however, children who saw their mentors more frequently exhibited fewer internalizing and externalizing symptoms. In…
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Journal Article A study was conducted of 51 Georgia offenders who were substance abusers and fathers to 130 children. Findings indicate that despite their lack of participation in hands-on fathering, offenders cited children as one of their biggest motivators for success upon release. The majority wanted to re-connect with their children and to become both a good role model and a meaningful part of their children's lives. 4 references.
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Journal Article Few programs to enhance fathers' engagement with children have been systematically evaluated, especially for low-income minority populations. In this study, 289 couples from primarily low-income Mexican American and European American families were randomly assigned to one of three conditions and followed for 18 months: 16-week groups for fathers, 16-week groups for couples, or a 1-time informational meeting. Compared with families in the low-dose comparison condition, intervention families showed positive effects on fathers' engagement with their children, couple relationship quality, and…
Each chapter of this book is written by an expert in the field and gives you the tools to successfully incorporate fathers into child welfare cases. Chapter 1: Vivek Sankaran writes about Supreme Court precedent on this issue and how different states have interpreted it, while providing tips to lawyers on preserving fathers' rights. Chapter 2: Mark Kiselica explores how to establish a good working relationship with father clients and how to make men feel comfortable engaging in the child welfare system. Chapter 3: Richard Cozzola and Andrya Soprych detail how to advocate for father clients…
Designed to assist advocates for nonresident fathers in child welfare cases, this checklist provides tips for recognizing male help-seeking behaviors. Strategies for advocates are explained and include: recognize the life circumstances of father clients, perform outreach, and remove barriers to meetings; explain the father advocate role in the child welfare system; use the strengths of traditional masculinity while addressing self-defeating beliefs about getting help; address any negative biases about fathers; and learn and practice male-friendly rapport-building tactics.
Designed to assist advocates for nonresident fathers in child welfare cases, this checklist provides tips for advocating for the constitutional rights of nonresident fathers. Strategies for advocates are explained and include: determine if a client has a constitutionally protected interest in his child, file necessary pleadings to safeguard a client's constitutional rights, and understand the interplay between State law and constitutional rights.
Designed to assist advocates for nonresident fathers in child welfare cases, this checklist provides tips for ensuring quality out-of-court advocacy for nonresident fathers. Strategies for advocates are explained and include: develop a good working attorney-client relationship with a father client, establish an open line of communication with the caseworker, and participate and prepare for child welfare staffing.
Designed to assist advocates for nonresident fathers in child welfare cases, this checklist provides tips for representing nonresident fathers in dependency cases. Strategies for advocates are explained and include: fight for custody if the client wishes, ensure successful father-child visits, prove the father's fitness to parent at trial, and help fathers who do not want custody achieve their other goals.
This checklist explains strategies judges can use to engage fathers in the child protection process. The strategies include: identify and locate all possible fathers early, complete paternity testing as soon as possible, appoint counsel for the father, engage fathers in the child protection case, involve paternal relatives in the case, and address domestic violence issues.
Designed to assist advocates for nonresident fathers in child welfare cases, this checklist provides tips for addressing special advocacy issues. Strategies for advocates are explained for addressing substance abuse, mental health concerns, domestic violence allegations, and immigration concerns.