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Master teacher and clinical psychologist Dr. Adolph Brown discussed how low-income fathers are a greatly misunderstood population and how these fathers are overlooked in discussions of poverty and economic vulnerability—often being viewed as the cause of social problems rather than as having been abandoned by society.

In this highly engaging plenary, Dr. Brown presented a more comprehensive picture of the significant obstacles and trauma low-income fathers experience. Participants learned about how to “lead with compassion” by offering services and interventions to fathers that…

Many of the fathers that seek support from responsible fatherhood and human service programs have experienced trauma that affects multiple aspects of their daily lives, including their parenting; the way they view themselves, others, and the world around them; and their ability to ask for and accept help. During this session, experienced practitioners shared effective trauma-informed and strengths-based approaches for providing in-person and virtual care and service delivery to low-income fathers.

This session provided participants with a framework for helping low-income fathers address the tough issues that serve as barriers to parenting. During this session, participants learned about proven solutions and strategies from experienced fatherhood practitioners.

Impoverished and low-income men face multiple barriers that affect their ability to engage with their children consistently and positively. This panel will share tips and lessons learned about ways fatherhood and other programs can provide a range of in-person and virtual services that help ameliorate these barriers, programmatically engage and retain fathers, and increase the likelihood that fathers are able to parent successfully.

This session will include discussions about emerging research on the mindset, circumstances, and needs of low-income fathers, including findings from ethnographic studies about the effects of COVID-19 on impoverished fathers and families and what can be done to increase their resilience. This session also will include a discussion on what future research needs to address.

This facilitated fireside chat allowed participants to hear first-hand from two fathers who will explore their parenting experiences, particularly during the pandemic, what they learned from the challenges they encountered, and what has helped them navigate those challenges, including:

“Daddy Don’t Go” is a film capturing two years in the lives of four disadvantaged fathers in New York City as they fight to defy the odds against them. And the odds are real - men living in poverty are more than twice as likely to become absent fathers than their middle-class peers (U.S. Census Bureau). “Daddy Don’t Go” is a tough but tender journey that aims to illuminate the everyday struggles of disadvantaged fathers.  Alex, Nelson, Roy and Omar shatter the deadbeat dad stereotype and redefine what it means to be a good father for all men. (Author summary)