Since 1997, child welfare services have been faced with new demands to engage fathers or develop father-inclusive services. This book emerges from work by the author as a researcher and educator over many years on the issues posed by this agenda for child welfare practitioners in a variety of contexts.In locating fathers, fathering and fatherhood within a historical and social landscape, the book addresses issues seldom taken up in practice settings. It explores diversity and complexity in fathering in different disciplines such as psychoanalysis, sociology and psychology and analyses…
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Journal Article Reasons behind fathers' lack of involvement in their children's lives, especially children involved in the child welfare system, are explored, as well as strategies caseworkers can use to involve fathers in child welfare cases. Strategies are discussed for contacting fathers, using a team effort to engagement, developing creative visits between father and child, and supporting quality time. Additional techniques to use with military, incarcerated, and out-of-area fathers are explained. 8 references.
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Journal Article A study investigated the effectiveness of the Supporting Father Involvement program that includes two types of interventions: a fathers-only group and a couples group, each lasting 32 hours over 16 weeks. Families who participated in the groups were compared with controls who attended a 3-hour information session on the importance of fathers. Compared to the control group, parents in the couples groups showed increased father involvement, couple satisfaction, and decreased personal and parenting distress. Fathers groups made fewer gains but had more significant positive effects on father…
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Journal Article Findings from in-depth interviews with 24 non-resident fathers are shared and indicate being a non-resident father was emotionally and financially devastating. Fathers experienced feelings of extortion, loss of control, and helplessness, and had little knowledge of how the judicial and child support enforcement systems work. Recommendations for child welfare workers are discussed. 8 references.
Barriers to engaging fathers in child welfare practice are explored, as well as the dangers of adopting a practice model that uncritically embraces fathers. Perspectives from fathers are shared and practices are proposed that align with the following principles: acknowledge their existence, understand there are different ways to be a father, violence does not necessarily eliminate men from being involved as fathers, and understand the context. Discussion questions are included. 49 references.
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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 This article provides judges with strategies for engaging noncustodial fathers in child welfare legal proceedings. It discusses reasons for making father engagement a priority, identifying fathers and determining paternity, and monitoring agency actions to notify and support fathers. Questions are suggested for gathering father information from reluctant mothers. 30 references.
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Journal Article The second of two articles, this article focuses on specific strategies judges can use to engage fathers in and out of court, as well as strategies for engaging fathers' extended families, ensuring the safety of the mother and child, using nonadversarial decision-making processes, ensuring quality visits between fathers and their children, ensuring fathers receive parenting services, and working with incarcerated fathers. 39 references. (Author abstract modified)
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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…
