A Breakthrough Series on Engaging Fathers and Paternal Relatives in Child Welfare: A System Response to COVID-19 and Racial Unrest

Abstract

In March 2020, COVID-19 rapidly spread in the United States, forcing child welfare agencies to manage new and complex logistical, safety, and basic health concerns. In May 2020, nationwide protests followed the killings of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and other Black Americans, and this unrest spotlighted the racial inequities and disparities in child welfare and other systems. In reaction to the dual impact of racial unrest and the pandemic, some child welfare agencies limited or suspended initiatives focused on father engagement or racial justice, for example, that were perceived to be outside of the core practice of child protection. This article shares examples of how participation in a Breakthrough Series Collaborative enabled child welfare jurisdictions to proactively manage and lead in this time of complexity and uncertainty. We discuss how these jurisdictions maintained their focus on father and paternal-relative-inclusive family engagement and well-being, responded to the public health emergency in comprehensive and nimble ways, and expanded their racial justice work through an intentional focus in the context of a syndemic.