Who Loves Ya Baby:Finding & Engaging Absent and Marginalized Fathers

Earl Kelly, Parent Involvement Coordinator

Brad Norman, LCSW

Gerry Rodriguez, Ph.D.

Facts About Father Involvement

• Studies have found that:

– 63% of black children, 35% of Hispanic children and 28% of white children do not live with their biological father

– In 1997, 65% of poor children did not live with their biological fathers, compared to 25% of children who were not poor

– 20% of all non-resident fathers are believed to earn less than $6,000 a year.

[From: Father Facts, National Fatherhood Initiative (2007)]

Consequences of Father Absence

• Children with unmarried parents are three times more likely to be living below the poverty line

• A child with a biological mother and her unmarried partner have the highest odds of being below the poverty line

• Thirty-eight percent of the children in this living arrangement are poor.Kreider, Rose M. and Jason Fields. Living Arrangements of Children: 2001. Current Population Studies, P70-104. Table 2. Washington DC: US Census Bureau, 2005.

Consequences of Father Absence

According to a 1996 HHS report, children in single parent homes had:– a 77% greater risk of being physically

abused;– an 87% greater risk of experiencing physical

neglect;– a 74% greater risk of emotional neglect;– an 80% greater risk of serious injury from

abuse.[From: Father Facts, National Fatherhood Initiative (2007)]

Consequences of Father Absence

• Youth from father-absent homes

are more likely to experience:

– Poverty– Emotional and behavioral problems– Substance abuse issues– Incarceration– Problems at school (e.g., repeating a grade,

dropping out, poor performance).

[From: Father Facts, National Fatherhood Initiative (2007)]

Benefits of Father Presence

• A review of nearly 100 studies on parent-child relationships found that the child’s relationship with his/her father was equal or more important than the relationship with his/her mother for:

– Happiness, well-being and social and academic success

– Predicting a child’s emotional instability, lack of self-esteem depression, social withdrawal and level of aggression (based on parental withdrawal)

– Delinquency, conduct problems, substance abuse and overall mental health and well-being.

[From: Father Facts, National Fatherhood Initiative (2007)]

Connecting

• Stand up, find a partner, stand face to face• You will each have 30 seconds• Challenges to locating fathers in your work with

families and children• Challenges to engaging fathers in your work

with families and children• Strategies that have been successful• Benefits of engaging fathers• Back to my seat.

Marginalization

• Cultural patterns and beliefs• Pre-natal focus on mothers, daytime appts• Pediatric focus on mothers, daytime appts• Preschool focus on mothers, daytime activities• Education system • Child Welfare system: maternal relatives• Mental Health system: child focus (identified

patient), mother often represents both parents.

One dad’s story

If absent, where are they?

• Unknown?

• Haven’t been involved for a long time, lack contact information

• Deemed “undesirable influence”

• Court Orders prohibit parent/child contact

• Avoiding arrest: back child support, etc

• Incarcerated.

Incarcerated Fathers

• Show video

• Assumptions about incarcerated mothers and fathers

• Assumptions about the extended family members of incarcerated fathers

• How difficult is it to locate incarcerated fathers? Not at all

• Who will initiate contact?.

Father Search & Engagement

• Check the files, especially earliest ones

• Ask the child

• Internet searching

• Find one relative, you can find most

• Average American child has 150-300 living relatives

• Should loss of access to father equal loss of his entire side of the family?.

Strategies for Engagement

• Understand professional and personal biases• Set program expectations to engage fathers

consistently and persistently• Father-friendly environment—Assessment Tool• Communicate differently• Activities specifically for fathers and sons,

fathers and daughters• Recognize and address cultural issues related

to fatherhood.

Range of Connections

• Information about the family history and extended family members

• Phone contact, texting, email

• Visits, shared activities

• Permanent adult connection

• Potential placement with father or father’s family.

Agency/Staff Assessment Tool

• Leadership and Organizational Philosophy

• Parent-involvement Program

• Program Physical Environment

• Staff Training and Professional Development

• Collaboration and Organizational Networking

• Community Outreach.

Resources

• Fatherhood Initiative– www.fatherhood.org/

• Family Partnership Institute, EMQ FamiliesFirst– www.emq-fpi.org

• Federal Health and Human Services Agency– http://fatherhood.hhs.gov/

Thank You!

• Earl Kelly– ekelly@emqff.org

• Brad Norman– bnorman@emqff.org

• Gerry Rodriguez– grodriguez@emqff.org

Who Loves Ya Baby:Finding & Engaging Absent and Marginalized Fathers

Earl Kelly, Parent Involvement Coordinator

Brad Norman, LCSW

Gerry Rodriguez, Ph.D.