CBCAP

RESPITE CARE

What is the Fatherhood Initiative about?

Studies show that only about 50% of our children today will spend their entire childhood with an intact family and about 40% of children in father-absent homes have not seen their father at all during the past year. So what does this mean for our children? Children who grow up without a responsible father are significantly more likely to experience poverty, perform poorly in school, engage in criminal activity, and abuse drugs and alcohol. States are now working to find a solution to this problem by reaching out directly to fathers and offering programs to promote responsible fatherhood and strengthen parenting skills.

Many have Fatherhood Initiatives that offer a network of agencies and organizations working together to provide a large range of programs and services to support fathers. Some programs, specifically those that are voluntary and community-based, support the father’s relationships with their children and other family members. Other programs offered may vary from employment and job training to support that promotes the positive and emotional and economic participation of fathers in the lives of their children.

Fathers play an important role in the lives of their children. They contribute to laying a foundation of emotional, physical, and psychological development. The father’s presence and positive interaction in a child’s life helps to promote healthy families and provide for the best future.

Are there organizations that provide more specific information on Fatherhood?

Yes, one of those is the National Quality Improvement Center on Non-Resident Fathers and the Child Welfare System (QIC NRF). It is a collaborative effort between the American Humane Association , the American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law, and National Fatherhood Initiative and funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children’s Bureau.

The focus of this project is a result of the federal Child and Family Services Reviews and the “What About the Dads?” report, which indicated that there is very little meaningful engagement occurring between the child welfare system and fathers. The QIC NRF promotes the importance of gaining more knowledge regarding the engagement of non-resident fathers and their children who are involved in the child welfare system.

The National Quality Improvement Center on Non-Resident Fathers and the Child Welfare System offers a “Father Friendly Check-Up” tool for child welfare agencies to help them assess the degree to which their organization’s operations encourage father involvement.

FRIENDS Resources on Fatherhood
Seven Core Learnings on Fatherhood
Fatherhood Programs Self-Assessment Tool
Male Participation in Early Childhood (english) (spanish)