Transcript Reaching and Engaging NonResident Fathers in Child Welfare

Reaching and Engaging
Non-Resident Fathers in
Child Welfare
Steps for Startup and Quality
Improvement Center Products
Quality Improvement Center on Non-Resident
Fathers in Child Welfare
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Began in 2006 with a Children’s
Bureau award
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Knowledge development
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Product development
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Field test of engagement in four sites
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Program development
recommendations
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Resource Web Site
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www.fatherhoodQIC.org
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www.engagingfathers.org
(Under Construction)
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I. Leadership and Organizational Philosophy
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Focus organizational attention
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Rationale and fit
– CFSR results and PIP
– Title IVE utilization
– Family Connections Act
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I. Leadership and Organizational Philosophy Part 2
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NRF-QIC Products
– Problem statement
• Non Resident Fathers are not
seen as a resource for their
children in Child Welfare
• Non Resident Fathers are not
present in virtually all child
welfare cases
• Gender matters in parenting and
service delivery
– Father Friendly Check Up
– Partnership with Courts as decision
makers
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II. Program Management Policies and
Procedures
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“Parent” equals code word for mother
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“Visitation”* might not be the same as “Parenting Time”**
– *Philosophy regarding frequency, location, etc.
– ** What does a Dad or Mom do when face to face with children
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Incarcerated fathers and visitation policy
– Child welfare services and prison policy
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Do policies present conflicting motivations for fathers and so create
barriers?
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Father recruitment data from the four QIC-NRF field sites
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Child Outcomes on CFSRs
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III. Organizational and Community Assessment
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Father Advisory Committee
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Videos – fathers’ stories
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fcYfYAlREk
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Newsletters—fathers’ stories
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Collaboration with other
organizations – systems integration –
particularly Child Support
Enforcement
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Transportation, Job training,
substance abuse and mental health
services
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IV. Parent and Family Involvement Practices
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Courts - Child and Family Attorneys
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Father’s legal guidebook
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FGDM or other family engagement practices
– www.fgdm.org
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QIC NRF facilitated peer fatherhood curriculum
– www.fatherhoodQIC.org
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Bringing Back the Dads curriculum and male helping seeking
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Service availability
behaviors
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IV. Parent and Family Involvement Practices continued
Bringing Back the Dads modules
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Dad as Part of the Solution: Overview of the child welfare system
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Dad as Planner: Service planning in the child welfare system
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Dad as Provider: Supporting your children
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Dad as Team Player: Shared parenting
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Dad as Parent: Understanding your children
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Dad as Community Member: Identifying and accessing resources
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Dad as Part of the Juvenile Court Process: Legal advocacy and court etiquette
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Dad as Part of Children’s Placement: Visiting with your children
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Dad as Healthy Parent: Taking care of you
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Dad as Cultural Guide: The role of culture in parenting
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Dad as Worker: Workforce readiness
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IV. Parent and Family Involvement - continued
Father Specific Services
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Father curriculum
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Size of dad’s service plan – number of expectations matters –
relevant, practical, and concrete services that make sense and are
reasonable.---Gender tailored
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Does Dad want to see kids?
– If yes move forward
– If no, ask about child support enforcement, criminal charges or
civil action, feeling inadequate – dead broke and no hopes, can’t
stand mother of child, don’t know what to do with child when
they do have contact. Always ask the next question and don’t
take NO for a final answer. Take time to explore dads needs and
insecurities.
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V. Program Physical Environment
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Pictures
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Magazines
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Color schemes
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Chairs instead of couches
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Diaper changing stations in men’s
restrooms
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VI. Staff Training and Professional
Development
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Family finding training – www.senecacenter.org
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Social worker training – www.fatherhoodQIC.org
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Social worker coaching/mentoring training
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Attorney training
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Bench cards
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ABA green book - Advocating for Nonresident Fathers in Child
Welfare Court Cases
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Case/social worker training
Michelle Howard, Training & Technical Assistance Specialist,
American Humane Association
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Case/social worker training
Primary Objectives:
• Recognize worker bias and presumptions about men
and fathers
• Understand the benefits and overcome the barriers to
engaging non-resident fathers
• Promote the development of collaborative partnerships
with non-resident fathers by incorporating the needs
and the cultural lens of men and fathers
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Case/social worker training continued
Recognize worker
bias &
presumptions
about men and
fathers
Value Voting
Father of the Year
Father Friendly
Check Up
- Staff training and
professional
development
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Case/social worker training continued
Understand the benefits and overcome the barriers to
engaging non-resident fathers
“I think it is
challenging to
engage fathers in
their child’s case
because…”
“I think it is important
to involve fathers in
their child’s case
because…”
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Case/social worker training continued
Promote the development of collaborative partnerships with nonresident fathers by incorporating the needs and the cultural lens of men
and fathers
 Video clips that prompted an
examination and discussion of
the socialization of men and
fathers.
 Strategies to encourage help –
seeking behaviors – through
the cultural lens of men.
 Barriers to men seeking help –
“why it may be how men are
socialized rather than resistant
men”.
 Strategies to support
relationship development (i.e.
principles of partnership,
conflict management).
 Approaches to engage the
non-resident father.
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VII. Collaboration and Organizational
Networking
Results of the Policy Roundtable
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Require collaboration between community partners.
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Increased funding must include a strong research component.
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Address barriers such as unemployment and its root causes, such as lack
of training, education and supports.
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Full implementation of the Fostering Connections to Success and
Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008.
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Child support flexibility should extend to child welfare. In recent years,
states have been able to use flexibility in child support rules and the
TANF program to encourage greater connection between fathers and
their children. The same flexibility in child support forgiveness and
incentives should apply to Title IV-E foster care funds.
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VII. Collaboration and Organizational
Networking - continued
Results of the Practice Learning Summit
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Non-resident Fathers with children in the Child Welfare System are
fragile
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Non-resident Fathers present as different stages of readiness and
emotional availability
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Understanding differences in gender are key to effectively engaging Nonresident Fathers
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Cross-system collaboration is critical
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Know your data
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Provide relevant concrete resources up front
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Strategies for engagement may need to be creative and unconventional
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VIII. Community Outreach
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Father Advisory Council and other resources- we used the National
Advisory Board to stay connected to the national community of
father related programs and services
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Findings on multiple needs of fathers points to the range of pertinent
resources
– A range which extends beyond the child welfare system
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IX. Information and Data Support Systems
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Assessment of current data structures
– Are there data structures that are
designed to capture information about
fathers?
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Assessment of data quality
– Level of missing data about family
structure, i.e. AFCARS item “Caretaker
Status”
– Level of missing data on Mothers
– Level of missing data on Fathers
– Kinship information
– Updates after initial assessment –
time intervals
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X. All Fathers are Important
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Fathers are at different stages of emotional availability
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Respect for relationship father has with children
– As many different relationship types as there are fathers
– Different views of what family should be
– How to help fathers clarify values?
– How to help fathers develop a plan?
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What are aspirations of child and of father?
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What is practical?
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What is the safety assessment philosophy?
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Michelle Howard, Training & Technical
Assistance Specialist
American Humane Association
Phone: 816-503-8428
[email protected]
Project Officer: Jason Bohn, Child Welfare
Program Specialist
Administration for Children and Families
Phone: 816-426-2260
[email protected]
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