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…
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.
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.
Designed to assist advocates for nonresident fathers in child welfare cases, this checklist provides legal strategies for addressing child support obligations. Strategies for advocates are explained and include: request that the court or agency not refer the child to child support enforcement services when reunification may be a goal, argue that agency case plans cannot be derailed by imposing child support recovery mechanisms, combat any attempts by the State to terminate a father's rights based on his failure to pay child support, and identify other legal strategies to oppose collecting…