Abstract
This project explored the integration of Responsible Fatherhood within Foster Care Service within Philadelphia Pennsylvania. It was hypothesized that the key to reducing the number of children who are at risk of entering, re-entering and remaining in various systems of care are the social service programs and systems created to meet the needs of children. One element to improve the outcomes for children is to establish that engaging fathers of foster children can be important not only for the potential benefit of a child-father relationship but also for making placement decisions and gaining access to resources for the child. A diverse group of n=22 service providers voluntarily became involved in a multi-year participatory action research to explore the value of building capacity to integrate Responsible Fatherhood practices, programs, and/or initiatives within foster care service delivery and other children and youth servicing systems. The results from the study highlight a substantial distinction between baseline and post-evaluation of the agency’s father readiness. The findings suggest that there were significantly higher scores on the father friendly checklist in the areas of leadership, polices & procedures, staff development, parent programming, and fatherhood. The article summarizes key recommendation for social service agencies to develop initiatives that outreach to fathers not only to connect with their children, but to build a broader support network that enhances child safety, permanency and well-being.
Highlights
Most children are raised by their biological parents in a healthy, supportive environment, and rarely experience a disruption of their parents’ emotional, social, physical, intellectual, spiritual or financial support
Pennsylvania’s figures reflect the national figures in that 35% of children reside in a single parent family household; while Philadelphia has a higher rate of children living in single family households at about 59% percent (Kids Count, 2017)
In addition to children residing with their biological parents, the Children’s Rights Organization – defending America’s abused and neglected kids (Children Rights, 2016), report that there are nearly 428,000 children on any given day in the foster care system in the United States, with over 670,000 in 2015 who spent some time in foster care
Summary
Most children are raised by their biological parents in a healthy, supportive environment, and rarely experience a disruption of their parents’ emotional, social, physical, intellectual, spiritual or financial support. The capacity building support offered to participating agencies included: 1) assessment of their agency’s “Father Friendliness,” as viewed by management and staff; 2) individual consultation regarding steps toward identifying their agency capacity building initiative; 3) technical assistance in the development of Responsible Fatherhood programming (new or enhanced); 4) an opportunity to engage in specialized focus groups (for management, staff, youth aging out of foster care, single mothers, and single fathers) designed to identify system impediments that contribute to the lack of Father Involvement in the lives of children; 5) an individual agency retooling plan that spells out what is needed to move the agency forward in the areas of Father Friendliness and inclusiveness; 6) the advantage of an association with a nationally recognized subject matter expert as a pro bono resource for future Fatherhood funding; and 7) potential accreditation as a Father Friendly Flagship Agency (3FA) that utilizes enriched family philosophy, policies, practices, procedures, and protocols to improve child well-being. The research design (R13-034 “The integration of responsible fatherhood within foster care delivery and other systems of care) and survey instrument (IAWF 3FA Check-Up Tool) were approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Bryn Mawr College
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