There is a strong base of research which shows that there are considerable benefits to the health and well-being of children, their mothers, and even the father’s themselves when they are involved in the lives of their children.  Research indicates that most parents want both father and mother to be actively involved in their children’s lives, and most children desire a loving relationship with their father.

There are however real barriers to father’s involvement that often exist.  These reasons include the father’s personal situations such as mental health, substance use issues, domestic violence, and/or incarceration. In addition, issues related to the father’s financial situation such as being under/unemployed, child support payment and collection issues, or lack of housing.  Other impacts on the father’s involvement might be based on the quality of the relationship with the mother, where it is a strained relationship between mother and father, or there are ongoing custody disputes or visitation struggles.

Engaging fathers in the lives of their children, in particular, in the lives of children involved in the child welfare system has been a priority for many interested entities at the federal, state and local levels.  As Casey Family Programs outlined in their April 2, 2019, Issue brief “Engaging fathers and connecting them with the right kinds of services and supports can directly impact the way fathers contribute to their child’s development, yet there are a number of issues that impact men’s experiences across multiple systems and influence their ability and willingness to engage in meaningful and consistent ways.⁴ These potential barriers include:

1. Child welfare professional and systemic bias (e.g., case names reflect mother);
2. Overburdened workers who may be hesitant to take the time to locate and involve non-custodial fathers;
3. Mothers’ gate-keeping;
4. Characteristics of non-custodial fathers that make them less accessible (i.e., incarceration, homelessness, impairment by substance abuse, military enlistment, etc.);
5. Lack of father-specific services and supports;
6. Child welfare professionals’ reluctance to involve male perpetrators in planning and service delivery; and
7. Dynamics around domestic violence.”

DOWNLOAD HERE: Issue brief  PDF: 739.24 KB

Recommend:

• At the first hearing CASA or FCRB submits a report that all family members participate in the court proceedings.
• In reports for fathers to be invited to participate in Family Team Meetings as a way to engage them in the case planning process.
• For paternity to be established as soon as possible if necessary.
• That a father take part in his child’s ‘normal’ activities such as parent teacher conferences, school sports, doctor or dental appointments as a way to maintain regular family interactions.
• Services or resources that strengthen the father’s coping skills and build his formal and informal support network.  Encourage services that meet his needs such as parenting classes for fathers, parent coaching, fathers mentoring fathers, or other gender-based programs.

Note:  All of the above options for investigating, monitoring, and advocating for specific recommendations are based on the foundation that it has been determined that the father is not a danger to the mother or to the child and contact is in the best interest of the child’s safety and well-being. 

For additional information:

Child Welfare Information Gateway created a podcast series on engaging fathers and working with fatherhood organizations featuring a conversation with leaders of local fatherhood organizations. The discussion provides perspective, insights, and recommendations to help child welfare agencies partner with fatherhood organizations to enhance the engagement and involvement of fathers and paternal family members in establishing permanency and safety for children in the child welfare system.