Definitional Tools

Father Engagement and Father Involvement Toolkit Menu

Overview

Definitional tools are important because they explicitly define what the initiative, program or intervention is and what is isn't. They:

  • Describe the problem, concern or issue that is to be addressed, solved or ameliorated.
  • Explain why and to whom the concern or issue is important.
  • Provide relevant background information.
  • Provide underlying theories and logic used in taking a particular approach or path.
  • Describe essential meanings, concepts and philosophies.
  • Articulate the benefits for children, youth and families.

Statement of the Problem

17.8 million children – nearly 1 out of every 4 children (25%) – live without a biological, step or adoptive father in the home. (2023 Census Bureau)

According to 2021 Census Bureau data:

Infographic illustrating 2020 family arrangement census data
  • Children living with a mother only is the second most common U.S. living arrangement, a number that has doubled since 1968.
  • In 1968, 85% of children under 18 lived with two parents (regardless of marital status), compared to 70% in 2020
  • About 7.6 million (11%) children lived with their mother only in 1968 compared to 15.3 million (21%) in 2020.
  • Fewer than 40% of Black children were living with two married parents in 2020. These children were most likely to live with their mothers only, with nearly half living in this arrangement in 2020. 

For more statistics about fathers, visit the U.S. Census Bureau website or the National Fatherhood Initiative.

Theoretical Framework For Father Engagement

In the past, many have used a deficit model when describing the relationship between fathers and their children. The child welfare system has tended to blame fathers for their absence, both from their children's lives and from their presence and participation in CPS. It has been said that the judicial system favored mothers, perhaps, because they had more resources (family support, child rearing and discipline, housing resources) and, thus, more power and influence within their families. According to this perspective, Resource Theory, the decision-making power lies in the person who can offer more resources.

However, the field recognizes the strengths of families, including the importance of fathers. Professionals use a holistic environmental perspective when assessing clients. The Life Course Theory teaches us to be aware of how history, structural/institutional and social and cultural factors impact people's lives from birth to adulthood.

Logic Models (General)

One of the first things that counties and organizations can do when planning their father engagement approach is to create a logic model that graphically depicts their resources, activities and projected outcomes.

Logic models may look very different; however, they mostly contain the same or similar elements. If you need help in constructing a logic model, some examples are included below:

Logic Models Used in California's Father Engagement Efforts

Strategies, a nationally recognized alliance of professional trainers, organizational development coaches, facilitators and support staff, whose mission is to provide quality training, coaching, facilitation, curriculum development and practical application of research, present a logic model as an example.

  • Napa County uses this logic model to help guide their father engagement activities.

Father Engagement Strategies

Counties conducted a father friendliness organizational self-assessment (OSA) that assessed their organizations father friendliness in eight areas:

1. Organizational Support
2. Position and Reputation in the Community
3. Agency Policies and Procedures
4. Staffing/Human Resources
5. Program Services
6. Physical Environment
7. Communication and Interaction
8. Collaboration and Organizational Networking

After counties analyzed the results from the administration of their OSAs, they created father engagement strategies they felt would be most beneficial to fathers and families. The counties that participated in the statewide pilot completed a planning form where they recorded their prospective strategies and noted the strategy(ies) they would employ, the desired outcome(s) of the strategy, criteria for knowing whether the outcome would be achieved and how information would be handled. View or download the strategy evaluation form.

Supporting Father Involvement (SFI)

The Supporting Father Involvement (SFI) project was initially piloted in four California counties: San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Tulare and Yuba.

SFI is an educational and clinical intervention for fathers and mothers. Fathers and mothers can participate in a 16-week therapeutic session either singly or together as couples.

SFI has been evaluated through randomized control trial research. Findings show that the project has a positive effect on father and mothers and their interaction with their children. After the project, the men who were involved increased their daily child-rearing activities; when couples participated, they maintained satisfaction with each other over time.

For more information, visit the Supporting Father Involvement (SFI) website.

Father Engagement Strategies Used in California Counties' Father Engagement Efforts

Calaveras County

Strategy One

Staff from Calaveras County conducted research within the Works and Human Services Agency and with outside partnering service providers to investigate the resources that are available to fathers. Once a list of the resources are compiled:

  1. Works and Human Services Agency staff will be trained about the various resources that are available to help fathers and direct fathers to them.
  2. Partner service providers will train community service providers about the various resources that are available to help fathers and direct fathers to them.
  3. The list of resources will be presented to fathers in anticipation that they will use the resources listed therein. Resources in the following areas may be included:
    1. Child support
    2. Legal aid
    3. Family court
    4. Crisis center
    5. Probation
    6. First five
    7. School districts
    8. Mental health
    9. Substance abuse

Strategy Two

Display male-friendly items (posters, magazines, photos) in high-traffic areas in an effort to make staff more aware of father engagement and to make the agency more friendly to fathers.

Strategy Three

A fatherhood mentor was hired to facilitate a support group that will include recruitment of all men within Calaveras County. The group will include fathers and non-fathers and will also include service providers representing county agencies. The objective is to arrange service providers and potential clients together to help increase the provision of services.

Madera County

Strategy One

Make staff in Madera County more aware of father engagement efforts and make the agency more friendly to fathers by displaying male friendly posters, magazines and photos in high-traffic areas in two buildings.

Strategy Two

A centralized educational hotline for fathers is created. The hotline will be accessible 24 hours/7 days a week. Staff will provide information about the services available to men and their families.

Strategy Three

The Community Action Partnership of Madera County, Inc. (CAPMC) has proposed a parenting skills program in Madera County that may include a new way of doing business by using two models:

  1. Strengthening Families Program (SFP) - This is an emerging program that has had some success with substance abusing families.
  2. Triple P- Positive Parenting Program - This is an evidence-based program, with a scientific rating of 1 (the highest score) and child welfare relevance score of 2 (medium).

CAPMC will work with the following agencies to collaborate in this project:

  • Madera County probation
  • Department of Social Services
  • Public Health " Behavioral Health
  • Madera Education

Merced County

Strategy One

"Boot Camp" for new dads is a three-hour educational/experiential workshop taught by fathers for fathers. Veteran fathers teach new fathers how to care for infants and children.

Strategy Two

Merced County hosts a free "Celebrate Fatherhood" community event each year. The purpose of the event is to stress the importance of positive fathers in the lives of their children and in the community of Merced.

Strategy Three

"All Dads Matter" is a men's s support group has two facilitators. The goal of the support group is to educate fathers about parenting and dealing with anger.

Strategy Four

"All Dads Matter" is a one-stop resource center for dads provides a safe space for fathers to visit and play with their children, use computers to search for employment or watch movies/DVDs about fathering.

Napa County

Strategy One

Train county staff and other stakeholders.

Strategy Two

Conduct permanency reviews every six months on identified cases.

Strategy Three

Track father involvement in CWS/CMS by creating a special project code to identify specific targeted cases.

Strategy Four

Identify prospective long-term connections with children and adults by asking family members and non-family members to complete an identification form at disposition.

Strategy Five

Conduct agency meetings where staff are included in the planning process.

San Diego County

Strategy One

Conduct brown bag lunch sessions with staff to gather information about:

  • Current successful practices for locating and engaging fathers
  • Current barriers/challenges in locating and engaging fathers
  • Suggestions for improving practice to locate and engage fathers

Strategy Two

Make staff in San Diego County more aware of father engagement efforts, and make the agency more friendly to fathers by displaying male-friendly posters, magazines and photos in high-traffic areas.

Strategy Three

Train San Diego County supervisors.

Strategy Four

Collaborate with the National Association of Black Social Workers (NABSW) and the Urban Minority Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Outreach Program to:

  • Provide outreach services in an attempt to make people more aware about father engagement.
  • Provide training and education about fathers and father engagement.

San Francisco County

Strategy One

Create digital videos that include fathers talking about their love for their children, their experiences with the CPS system and what it means to them to be a father.

Strategy Two

Conduct a case review of sixty (60) open cases to assess father friendliness.

Strategy Three

Train San Francisco County staff and administer satisfaction surveys after training.

Strategy Four

Therapists will counsel co-parents in an effort to get parents to:

  • Communicate (better) with each other
  • Agree on parenting and discipline issues
  • Make mutually agreed upon decisions about their children

San Luis Obispo County

Strategy One

Make staff in San Luis Obispo County more aware of father engagement efforts, and make the agency more friendly to fathers by displaying male-friendly posters, magazines and photos in high-traffic areas.

Strategy Two

Inter- and Intra-agency collaboration to develop a resource guide for fathers and expand services to fathers.

Strategy Three

Develop policies and procedures related to:

  1. Fathers' participation in TDMs
  2. Staff efforts to engage mothers and fathers

Strategy Four

Develop a website that contains resources targeted to fathers.

NOTE: After strategies have been implemented, they should be continually assessed for effectiveness and efficiency. If the strategy does not yield the desired outcome, perhaps it should be modified and re-implemented. The cycle may take several times until the strategy is implemented as intended, assessed and perfected.

Next Section: Engagement & Communication Tools