Transcript Document

WELCOME!
The Engagement of
Non-Resident Fathers
www.fatherhoodqic.org
Presenters:
Paul Frankel and Tiffany Mitchell
Child Welfare
American Humane Association
Englewood, Colorado
www.americanhumane.org/protecting-children
1
American Humane Association
Child Welfare
 For 133 years we have developed programs,
policies, training, research & evaluation, and
innovative responses to child abuse and neglect.
We work to strengthen families and communities,
and enhance CPS. www.americanhumane.org/protecting-children
 Fatherhood
 Safety & Risk Assessment
 Family Group Decision
 Child Welfare & Migration
Making
 Prevention
 Differential Response
 Restorative Justice
 Chronic Neglect
 Workload/Caseload
2
QIC-NRF -- Knowledge Development
The QIC-NRF is Operated by:
American Humane Association, Child Welfare
ABA Center on Children and the Law
National Fatherhood Initiative
A Project of the Children’s Bureau
Administration on Children, Youth and Families
Administration on Children and Families
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
2006-2011
3
QIC-NRF Sites are Changing their
Organizational Cultures to Engage Fathers
QIC-NRF Research and Demonstration Sites:
Marion County, Indiana Indiana Department of Child Services in Indianapolis
Indiana Fathers and Families Center, http://www.fatherresource.org/
King County, Washington Division of Children and Family Services in Seattle
Divine Alternatives for Dads, http://www.aboutdads.org/
El Paso County, Colorado El Paso County Department of Human Services in Colorado Springs
Center for Fathering, http://dhs.elpasoco.com/COF.htm
Tarrant County, Texas –
Texas Department of Family and Protective Services in Ft. Worth
New Day Services for Children and Families, http://www.newdayservices.org/
4
Non-Resident Fathers and
the Child Welfare System
“Is there a difference in child and family
outcomes based on non-resident father
involvement?”
Safety
Permanency
Well-being
5
Thought Exercise
 Think about your answers to the following:
• What do you currently do well to engage nonresident fathers?
• What do you find most challenging about
engaging non-resident fathers?
• What was/were your initial reaction(s) about
attending a conference call/webinar on father
engagement?
6
Bring Back the Dads:
Is there a child welfare system bias?
1,958 children removed from homes where the Father did not reside
88%
Agency had identified the Father
55%
Agency had contacted the Father
30%
Father had visited the Child
70% of caseworkers
had received training
on engaging fathers
28%
Father expressed interest in
child living with him
Based on interviews with 1,222 caseworkers
http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/06/cw-involve-dads/report.pdf
Malm, Murray, & Geen (2006). What About the Dads? Health and Human
Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children’s Bureau
7
Five Key Themes –
A logical progression of father involvement
 Identification – Not readily ascertainable; Moms are
not forthcoming with information.
 Location – Transitional Dads; Dads move around, are
incarcerated, avoidant.
 Contact – Barriers and promising strategies in actually
meeting and talking with Dads.
 Engagement – Initial and ongoing; Integrate Dads
into the child welfare system.
 Interagency collaboration – Contradictory or
complementary (e.g., law enforcement, CS
enforcement, Judges).
8
CFSR Case-Level Data: 32 States
Differences In Serving Mothers and Fathers
Average Across States: Percent of Cases Rated as Strength
9
Child and Family Service Reviews (CFSR)
Rounds 1 and 2
 Mothers are more likely than fathers to receive
services.
 Inconsistency in involving fathers in case
planning.
 Fathers had fewer visitations with children in
foster care.
 The needs of fathers were assessed and met
inconsistently.
 Efforts to locate, contact, and/or engage fathers
were insufficient or inconsistent.
10
Engaging Fathers
11
Effective Father Engagement Strategies
 What does “HELP!” look like for
fathers?
• Strongly influenced by gender
roles.
• No “Sissy Stuff!”
• Admitting to a problem is not
easy.
• Difficulty in asking for help and
depending on others.
• Being perceived as “weak.”
12
Effective Father Engagement Strategies
Check your attitude at the door!
 Address your personal biases
about men and fathers.
 Resist stereotyping
non-resident fathers.
 Provide a welcoming physical
environment.
 First contact by a male (if
possible). Is it possible?
 Avoiding “system” jargon.
13
Effective Father Engagement Strategies
 Effective approaches:
• Don’t dwell on emotions.
• “Normalize” their experiences.
• Be action-oriented.
• Fathers are sensitive to power,
respect and control.
• Do not over-promise and
under-deliver.
• Appropriate expressions of anger.
14
What’s In It For…
• Broadens circle of family
support by including fathers and
potentially their family/friends
• More “eyes” to survey the
well-being of the child
• Increased informal supports and resources
• Positive well-being outcomes for child
• Promotes family and cultural connection
15
16
Father Friendly Check-up
 Tool to help agencies create an environment that
involves non-resident fathers and fosters the healthy
development of children
 Seven Assessment Areas
1.
Leadership & Organization Philosophy
2.
Program Management Policies & Procedures
3.
Parent Involvement Program
4.
Program Physical Environment
5.
Staff Training & Professional Development
6.
Collaboration & Organizational Networking
7.
Community Outreach
17
Best Practices to Engage Fathers
 Reaching out to fathers •
Incarcerated Fathers: finding a voice for the
incarcerated at the table, planning for after-release.
•
Fathers out of jurisdiction: conference call
participation, exploring paternal relative connections.
•
Alleged Fathers and Paternity Issues:
inclusion while paternity is
still an issue, building on
emotional connections,
fictive kin fathers.
•
Teen Fathers: addressing
the cultural needs of unwed
teenage fathers.
18
How the QIC-NRF Can Help to Change
Organizational Culture of an Agency
 Father Friendly Check-up
 Male first contact with Fathers.
 Systems collaboration between child welfare, judicial,
child support enforcement, and other relevant systems.
 “Bringing Back the Dads” model intervention program
implementation.
 Caseworker training on effective male/father engagement.
 Family Finding training.
 Training for judges and attorneys.
 Gathering feedback from stakeholders and consumers.
 Dissemination.
19
Presenters:
Paul Frankel and Tiffany Mitchell
Child Welfare
American Humane Association
Englewood, Colorado
www.americanhumane.org/protecting-children
To learn more about the Quality Improvement Center on
Non-resident Fathers and the Child Welfare System please
visit our website at www.fatherhoodqic.org.
20
Questions & Answers
21