Overview
The importance of father engagement has been elevated in the United States, both nationally and locally. The child welfare system recognizes this and has started to make some important strides in engaging fathers from the beginning of their involvement with them throughout the duration of their working relationship.
Training staff and stakeholders is an important instrument in:
- Teaching policies and procedures related to father engagement
- Imparting county values and principles related to the provision of services
- Teaching the importance of father awareness and involvement
- Conveying the steps to implementing a specific county program related to father engagement
eLearnings
Father Engagement in Child Welfare
This micro-learning will discuss the "why" - why it is important to engage fathers early on and the "how" - How we engage with fathers. We will present video interviews from experts, the fathers themselves, who are paving the way for others to successfully bond and attach with their children. Valuable resources and top tips will be presented on what father engagement looks like, as well as "take-aways" social workers can use in the field and working with families.
Tips/Tip Sheets
These tips can be used for individual and for group or community learning and/or can be combined or adapted to meet county/organizational training needs:
Other Training/Videos
These videos can be used for individual and for group or community learning and/or can be combined or adapted to meet county/organizational training needs:
- This spoken word video, by Daniel Beatty, is a poignant personal reflection of living without a father.
- Dads attending to children - a brief video clip of fathers attending to their children while the children are at school
- Father/child play - a brief video clip of fathers playing with their children
- Digital Stories by Fathers involved with the child protective system
- What about Fathers? A Child Welfare Documentary - This documentary produced by the Northern Academy shines a spotlight on CWS efforts to bring fathers out of the shadows and into their children's lives.
- Working with Fathers in Child Welfare - this virtual training offered by UC Davis Human Services, starting in Fall 2025, discusses ways to include and engage fathers and/or their relatives to improve outcomes for children and families.