Fathers Engagement Project

Team Washington

Grantee Meeting

October 14, 2010

Seattle, WA

Site Report Overview

• Lay of the land—area served

• Partner overview—cross-system teaming

• Program accomplishments

• Recruitment and retention—lessons learned and strategies

• Project lessons learned

• Words of advice

• Program products

• Partner insights

Lay of the land: DSHS/CA comprised of 6 regions

Lay of the land: Region IV Served by six CA offices

King South King West

ICW

MLK White Center King East

Fathers Engagement Project Partnership Collaborative

• DSHS Children and Family Services

• DSHS Division of Child Support

• D.A.D.S.

• Office of the Family & Children’s Ombudsman

• King County Juvenile Court

• Catalyst for Kids

• Univ. of Washington School of Social Work

D.A.D.S.

Program accomplishments: system level

• Presentations at conferences • National Family Decision Making Conference, Burlington, VT

• PAYCED Alliance Retreat

• Fort Worth Fatherhood Summit

• Casey Family Programs Foster Parent Conference

• Project Get Connected

• Participation on panels and committees • Washington Parent Advocacy Committee

• National Father Advisory Board

• CFSR Review Panel

Program accomplishments: system level (continued)

Launched Statewide Fatherhood Coalition

• Hired facilitator for first meeting

• Identified shared values and commitments

• Committed to ongoing partnership

• Scheduled next meeting to design structure and next steps - October 19, 2010

Program accomplishments: system level (continued)

Statewide Fatherhood Convening October 29 & 30, 2010

• Partnership effort; Catalyst for Kids contracted to coordinate

• Design team of fathers and professionals

• Purpose is to identify and present policy recommendations to policymakers

• Hosting the participation of 50 fathers; representation from each region along with professional representatives

Program accomplishments: client level

December 12, 2008 to September 30, 2010

• Reviewed 1,007 placements

• 732 unduplicated NRF cases (73.6%)

• 5 cohorts

• 41 fathers in study & additional fathers not in the study

Client-level data

• Average age: 37.8 years

• 42% white; 44% African American; 15% AI/AN; 5% Hawaiian/API; 2% Hispanic

• 68% unemployed

• 73% have HS diploma/GED

• 61% have good/excellent health

• Financially supporting selves/families and finding a job top two problems

Client-level data

• 61% “very involved” in child’s life

• 46% saw their child at least once/week before placement

• 34% got along “very well” or “moderately well” with child’s mother

• 44% felt they were “fairly” or “very fairly” treated by social worker/agency

Recruitment: challenges • System-level

– Culture/environment doesn’t value fathers or know how to show it values fathers

– Lack of father-specific/father-welcoming services

– Lack of coordination among programs serving fathers

– Policy and practice inequities with regard to fathers vs. mothers

• Program-level – Lack of timely access to information on NRFs

– Overwhelmed staff

– Number of fathers who did not meet eligibility criteria

Retention: lessons learned

• Fathers come with many challenges; they need access to services/support to address

• One approach/program can’t meet all needs of all fathers

• Difficulty attending weekly meetings

• Length of program may be hard when fathers have no/little hope, no/little resources and trying to meet basic needs

Strategies to improve recruitment and retention

• Committed, informed and trained staff (upper, middle and line) regarding father engagement

• Enforce expectations that social workers will identify and engage fathers: support with resources

• Timely access to case information; ideally via a systematic, automated approach

• Knowledgeable and approachable initial male contact

• Skilled/committed facilitator with ability to provide support prior, during, after group

• Enhanced cross-system coordination /integration of services and supports targeted to fathers

• Community-based partners--increases trust

What we would do differently • Start w/an assessment-realistic picture of the #s & needs of

fathers, practice related to identification, location, contact, and service options for fathers

• Integrate processes and documents into existing system; examine current policies/practices for links

• Implement a wrap-around approach to support fathers prior to, during, and after group

• Break the 20 weeks into two sessions – Part one: information on the child welfare system and

other systems-opportunity for relationship/trust-building – Part two: self-awareness and skill building (e.g.,

parenting, fatherhood, child development) • Consider approaches for serving resident fathers and fathers

not available to attend a peer support group • Create a DSHS/CA father specialist position to support

engagement and system change

Advice to a new grantee • Engage in efforts at system and program level

• Train social workers and other professionals

• Seek out existing agencies/programs & work together

• Include fathers in program planning, on boards, as presenters, and as future facilitators

• Father group should NOT be a stand-alone program

• Create pre, program and after program support for fathers via facilitator or father specialist /advocate

• Listen to fathers; be patient, actively listen, validate, and respect; budget staff time for this to occur

• Explore if the facilitator/specialist might serve as a resource person for fathers (at case planning, FTDMs)

Advice to a new grantee • Plan, based on demands, for additional facilitators;

consider co-facilitation with state representatives

• Examine additional community agencies/sites to provide fathers with agency and location choices

• Examine approaches to reduce program expenses (e.g., libraries/agency offices at no charge)

• Create systemic processes to promote the program (reminders to workers to refer, father panel presentations, share research/education information)

• Incorporate program evaluation into your efforts--for internal use and to fill the knowledge gap

• Know fathers want to be engaged with their kids--do not judge-even if they do not participate in group

Project products

• Video

– Treatment (approach) complete

– Filming to begin soon

• Research Article

– Ongoing dialog

– UW has the lead on the lit review

• Legal rights brochure

– Printed and distributing

Partner insights

• DSHS Children and Family Services

• DSHS Division of Child Support

• D.A.D.S.

• Office of the Family & Children’s Ombudsman

• King County Juvenile Court

• Univ. of Washington School of Social Work

• Catalyst for Kids