Fatherhood Program

In partnership with the Casey Foundation and the Department of Child Services, the Fatherhood Program was developed to engage fathers within the child welfare system to ensure fathers have a role and voice in their children’s lives. The Fatherhood Specialist will work one-on-one with the father to help identify the needs of the father and identify any problems or barriers that may exist. The Fatherhood Specialist advocates on behalf of the father’s rights in the following areas:

• Assisting the fathers in understanding the child welfare process and what their legal right as parents.
• Attending court hearings
• Attending Child and Family Team Meetings
• Addressing issues such as employment, transportation, substance abuse, domestic violence, parenting classes, educational programs and legal advice

Why do fathers matter?
Children who live without contact to their biological father are:

• Five times more likely to live in poverty.
• More likely to bring guns and weapons to school
• Twice as likely to commit a crime
• Twice as likely to drop out of school
• Twice as likely to be abused
• More likely to commit suicide

Committed to Engaging Fathers in the lives of their children
Referrals are made by Department of Child Services and other social service providers to the Fatherhood Specialist. Once a referral is made the  Fatherhood Specialist attempts to find, locate, and establish face-to-face contact with the father to engage him in the child welfare process.

Father engagement begins with a commitment to involving fathers in the case planning process.

Some barriers that exist may include:

• Father has a history of incarceration, abuse or domestic violence
• Father is unemployed
• Father is not aware that he is a father
• Father has not been located or his whereabouts are unknown
• Systemic bias that exists regarding fathers
• Lack of legal representation of rights