EditorJoann Grayson, Ph.D.

Editorial DirectorAnn Childress, MSW

Editorial AssistantWanda Baker

Computer ConsultantPhil Grayson, MFA

Student AssistantEmily Jacobson

Sponsored by

Child ProtectiveServices Unit

Virginia Departmentof Social Services

Fall, 2011 Virginia Child Protection Newsletter Volume 92

continued on page 2

PARENT LEADERSHIP AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT IN CPS

AND FOSTER CARE

Nancy became involved in a parent support

group because her three boys were very wild.

She said that she never could handle defiance

and she knew how she was trying wasn’t right.

She started to learn more about herself through

the meetings. After her sons were grown, she

wanted to give back. She became a parent

leader and says it is the best way to accomplish

prevention goals. She believes that parent lead-

ership improves agencies tremendously.

Eliza joined a parent support group because

she wanted to learn more about how to help her

children become good citizens. She found a

haven in a support group for at-home mothers

of color. Once she constructed a vision of what

was possible, Eliza became involved as a par-

ent leader. She says that parent leadership is

open to any parent who comes to the table and

asks for help.

Art adopted a child who had experienced

maltreatment and wanted additional parenting

support. He said attending Parents Anonymous

felt great and gave him the help he needed.

After he moved and had to drive an hour to at-

tend a group, he asked why there were no

groups closer to his home. The leader asked if

he would help start a new group in his area. Art

was successful as a parent leader. He has even

gone to Washington, DC to meet with his repre-

sentatives to advocate for parents.

To learn more about these parents and other

parent leaders, visit:

http://www.friendsnrc.org/cbcap-priority-

areas/parent-leadership-and-involvement/sto-

ries-of-parent-leadership on the FRIENDS

website.

Promoting safety for children, assuringchildren’s well-being, and achieving perma-nency for children are goals of those work-ing in the child welfare system. Parent andfamily engagement is a strength-based ap-proach to partnering with families in makingdecisions, setting goals, and achieving de-sired outcomes. The approach is founded onthe principle of honest and open communi-cation and encouraging involvement by mo-tivating families and empowering them torecognize their own needs, strengths, and re-sources. In this approach, families assume anactive role in working towards change(Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2010).

Parent and family engagement is an activeprocess that builds upon the family’s re-sources, extended family and kinship con-nections, and the family’s support systems.The approach highlights strengths and buildsupon the family’s resilience. It is a collabo-rative effort (Child Welfare InformationGateway, 2010; Fraenkel, 2006).

When using a family engagement ap-proach, families are viewed as experts on thenature of their challenges and on what theydesire in services. Professionals adopt astance of respectful learners. The approachinvolves supporting families and joiningwith them against the challenges they face,rather than viewing the family as a problemthat needs to be solved. The approach allowsmeaningful participation and roles for fami-lies and provides families with diverse op-

portunities to engage in shared decision-making (Fraenkel, 2006; National TechnicalAssistance and Evaluation Center for Sys-tems of Care, 2008).

Parent leaders are parents who representthe needs and perspectives of many parentswithout speaking or acting in a staff role foran organization. Typically they are former orcurrent participants in family support and/orchild abuse prevention programs. These in-dividuals serve as a “parent voice” and helpshape support services. Parent leaders can bebiological parents, step-parents, grandpar-ents, foster or adoptive parents, communityelders, or others who are in primary care-giving roles for children (FRIENDS Na-tional Resource Center for CBCAP, 2010).

Family Support Principles

FRIENDS National Resource Center forCBCAP (2010) has identified key familysupport principles:

* The family is the focus of attention. Thesafety and well-being of all family membersis considered.

* The purpose of the support is tostrengthen the family’s capacity to function effectively.

* Families are engaged in all aspects ofservice delivery including policy develop-ment, the service offerings, and the programevaluation.

* Families are linked with communitysupport.

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Parent Leadershipcontinued from page 1

What are the Benefits?

Several articles explore the benefits ofparent leadership and parent and family en-gagement (Child Welfare Information Gate-way, 2010; Chadwick Center for Childrenand Families, 2009; CSSP, 2011; Fraenkel,2006; FRIENDS National Resource Centerfor CBCAP, 2010; Parents Anonymous,2005). These authors discuss potential bene-fits, including:

* More Positive Relationships

When family members feel respected andbelieve that they are being heard, the rela-tionships with the workers and providers arestrengthened. Better rapport is known to belinked to higher treatment success.

* Investment in the Treatment Process

Families will eagerly engage in interven-tions when they have some control over theprocess, when they have contributed to thedecisions, and when they are invested in theplans and objectives.

* Expanded Options

Including fathers and extended familyearly in the process allows the explorationof extended family and relatives as potentialplacement options or other support for thechildren.

* Increasing Placement Stability

Parental involvement is linked to quickerreunification or other permanency options.

* Therapeutic Benefits

Having a voice in shaping treatment andintervention can be therapeutic. Being heardand having some input into decisions helpsparents and family members feel less help-less and more in control. Parents who are inleadership roles manage stress better, main-tain higher positive self-esteem, improvetheir sense of competence, and may developa desire to “give back” to the community.

* New Perspectives

Parent leaders can offer valuable, unique,and diverse perspectives, ideas, suggestions,and solutions. Sharing their life experiencescan result in greater understandings of vitalissues that affect troubled families.

* Parents are Able to Give to Others

Parent leaders can be positive resourcesfor other parents, including serving as parentmentors.

*Parents Develop New Skills

Parents develop new capabilities that theycan use again and again to strengthen theirfamilies.

*Benefits to Children

Children of parent leaders begin todemonstrate leadership behaviors in theirhomes, schools, and community activities.

* Benefits to Staff

Partnering with parent leaders can reducestaff burnout and increase staff satisfaction.

What are the Challenges?

Most parents who become involved withchild protective services or child welfareservices are not self-referred. They have notrequested services and may be resistant tothe idea that services are needed. Also, thepossibility of termination of parental rightscan strain relationships with case workers(National Technical Assistance and Evalua-tion Center for Systems of Care, 2008).

At the family level, parents who live inseparate households can be especially chal-lenging as there may be tension between theparents and/or family members. Parents whoare diagnosed with substance abuse or ad-diction may have additional issues. Parentswho remain angry about the removal of achild and who are unable to shift focus fromtheir own hurt to the child’s needs may bemore difficult to engage (National TechnicalAssistance and Evaluation Center for Sys-tems of Care, 2008).

System challenges are several. There istension between child safety and a family-centered approach. Large caseloads can dis-courage workers from the task of familyengagement (National Technical Assistanceand Evaluation Center for Systems of Care,2008).

There are also practical challenges. Trans-portation, child care, work schedules and theneed or requirement to engage in servicesmake families in the child welfare systemvery pressed for time. Meetings may not bescheduled at times that are easy for parentsto attend. There may be language barriersand some parents may lack the educationneeded to read and understand materials(Prevent Child Abuse Virginia, 2011).

Successful Models

Several authors have described the com-ponents of successful models for family en-gagement (Action for Child Protection,2008; CSSP, 2011; Child Welfare Informa-tion Gateway, 2010; Center for the Study ofSocial Policy, 2002; Chadwick Center forChildren and Families, 2009; Prevent ChildAbuse Virginia, 2011). Their ideas are sum-marized below:

A basic assumption of successful ap-proaches is that all families can harness theirstrengths and capabilities, enter into a part-nership with child welfare agencies and

courts and make decisions that protect andnurture their children. A second assumptionis that child welfare practice will improve asa result of increased and authentic family in-volvement. The belief is that families de-serve respect and that families are theexperts on themselves. The family’s cultureis perceived as a strength and interventionsare tailored to consider the family’s uniqueneeds. There is confidence that families canmake well-informed decisions.

The parent engagement models that suc-ceed build on strengths and do not empha-size deficits. They endorse a team approachand partnering with the parents and theirsupport system. Families are allowed to de-fine their own members and team member-ship is broadly defined.

Practical barriers to parent involvementare considered and removed. These can be assimple as transportation, language barriers,arranging child care for children, and workschedules. Potential barriers should be prob-lem-solved so that the parent is able to par-ticipate without undue hardship.

In successful models, agency leadershipendorses parent engagement. One importantaspect is training for staff in how to engagefamilies. A second agency contribution ispolicies and procedures for family engage-ment. Manageable caseloads are crucial.Monitoring and evaluating results of parentengagement efforts is also critical.

Attempts at developing effective partner-ships will frequently be met with resistance.It is understandable that a parent, faced withfeedback that they have been unable to as-sure a child’s safety and coupled with thepossibility that the child may be removedand placed in foster care, may feel resistantto trying to work in partnership with personswho are being firm about the need for childsafety. Being able to effectively deal with re-sistance requires sorting out and understand-ing what the resistance means. It may meanthe parent is attempting to return to a state ofbalance or that the parent is comfortablewith how the situation was prior to CPS in-volvement. Resistance may be a learned re-sponse to difficult situations. Resistance maydivert the parent from needing to deal withpainful realities or it may mean the parent isafraid of change. Acknowledging the parentor caregiver’s right to his or her feelings canavoid confrontation and allow the pursuit ofcommon ground (Action for Child Protec-tion, 2008).

Action for Child Protection (2008) sug-gests several methods for reducing resist-ance. Providing caregivers with informationis empowering and helps to avoid mistrustand anxiety. Providing choices to caregiverswhenever possible and consistently includ-ing them in decision-making is helpful.Lowering “authority” and allowing care-givers to be more active can lower resist-ance. Having conversations, rather thaninterviews, is more effective. Reinforcing

3

self-determination does not mean that work-ers can take a passive role in safety manage-ment. However, the least intrusive measuresshould be identified and the approach shouldincorporate the family’s world view.

Levels of Parent and Family Involvement

The National Technical Assistance andEvaluation Center for Systems of Care(2008) discussed three levels of parent en-gagement with the child welfare system.

* Case-level involvement. Parents andfamilies may become involved because theyare subject to investigation and either theirchildren were removed and placed in fostercare or are at risk for removal. The founda-tion involvement practice at this level isfamily group conferencing where a sharedlevel of understanding is developed and jointdecisions are made about the children’s wel-fare.

*Peer support. At this level, parents whohave successfully negotiated the child wel-fare system or other parents serve as men-tors, partners, and/or resource guides forparents who are new to the system.

* System level. At this level, parents whoare or were consumers serve on state-wide orlocal groups that are advisory councilsand/or assist as trainers for CPS and fostercare staff regarding consumer involvementand satisfaction with the system.

Case-level Involvement

The Center for the Study of Social Policy(2002) has described a variety of models forsuccessful case-level involvement. A generaldescription of a family decision-makingmeeting follows. Meetings may vary de-pending upon the model used.

A facilitator for the meeting is designated.This person is generally not the socialworker assigned to the case but someonewho is neutral and could be from outside theagency. This person will typically spendabout 25 hours in preparation for the initialmeeting over 3 to 4 weeks of time. The facil-itator will need to become familiar with thefacts of the case. The facilitator will alsospend time with the family to explain themeeting parameters and help the familyidentify who will be invited from the familyto attend. The goals of the meeting, themeeting process, and the guidelines will bereviewed with all family members. The facil-itator will set the meeting time, inform theparties who need to attend, and will coordi-nate all logistics to assist those who need tobe in attendance. The facilitator will also fol-low up with the family after the meeting tomanage any unresolved issues.

Meetings begin with a review of the pur-pose and scope of the meeting and describethe process and structure and guidelines.

continued on page 4

SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES FOR PARENT LEADERSHIP

Although public policies have promoted parent leadership, State and localprograms have encountered obstacles and challenges to engaging parents inleadership roles. The FRIENDS National Resource Center has gathered infor-mation on successful strategies for promoting parent leadership as a part ofchild abuse prevention efforts. Parents can be involved in many ways. Someideas follow but readers are encouraged to access the complete article at:http://friendsnrc.org/cbcap-priority-areas/parent-leadership-and-involvement

Policy/Program Development

• Serve on needs assessment or strategic planning groups• Assist with program monitoring and evaluation• Testify before policy-making bodies

Provide or Assist with Training

• Speak as a trainer to staff and volunteers• Provide specific knowledge and support to programs• Serve as a mentor for a family

Administrative

• Recruit volunteers• Participate in staff hiring decisions• Review handouts and audiovisual materials• Fundraising

Organizational

• Serve on grant-making boards or committees• Serve on agency boards or councils• Serve on State or local boards or councils

UPDATE ON VIRGINIA’S TRANSFORMATION

VCPN volumes 85 and 88 contain articles describing how the Vir-ginia Department of Social Services is transforming how children andfamilies receive services through the child welfare system. TamaraTemoney, Ph.D., Program Manager for Family Engagement andPlacement offers an update:

Dr. Temoney relates, “Since the implementation of Family En-gagement in 2010, local departments of social services have identi-

fied a number of benefits that have both created an improved

partnership with families and resulted in more effective decision-

making for children. Local departments have seen a decrease in the

number of youth entering foster care, a reduction in placement dis-

ruptions, an increase in relative placements, and an increase in iden-

tifying community supports for families.”

4

available. (For more information about Cir-cle of Parents, see the separate spotlight, thisissue.) These groups offer non-judgmentalsupport and caring to parents. Some groupshave a professional facilitator, but all groupshave parent leaders and they expect parentparticipation to be high. Some ParentsAnonymous groups such as Parents Anony-mous of Oregon (2010) offer both groupsupport and a Parent Mentor Program. Ore-gon’s program focuses on parents with sub-stance addictions. The mentor helps theparent complete treatment, builds self-es-teem, helps the parent learn parenting skills,and if successful, rejoices as the parent re-turns to parenting clean and sober.

System-level Engagement

Not only do families have a primary deci-sion-making role in the care of their ownchildren, they also have a role in the policiesand procedures governing care for all chil-dren in the community (Chadwick Center forChildren and Families, 2009). Increasingly,consumer input and collaboration with par-ents and families being served by the childwelfare system is seen as desirable.

For collaborative leadership between pro-fessionals and families to be successful, bothcaretakers and practitioners must have theskills and tools they need to work as part-ners. This means training staff as well as par-ent training and adequate parent support. Forinstance, parent partners should be offeredcompensation to cover their expenses andshould receive emotional support to functionin leadership roles (FRIENDS National Re-source Center for CBCAP, 2010).

Several steps are suggested in order toachieve meaningful parent partnerships atthe systems level (CSSP, 2011; FRIENDSNational Resource Center for CBCAP, 2010;Parents Anonymous, 2008). First, agenciesshould assess staff and agency readiness toengage in positive partnerships with parents.Readiness can be improved through trainingand through developing concrete, writtenplans and guidelines for partnering with par-ents. There must be a climate of value andrespect for inclusion of parents as equal part-ners in policy formation. Parents and staffwill need to arrive at shared values and goalsfor the agency or organization. Joint train-ings can be helpful, but informal learningopportunities are also beneficial.

Potential parent leaders must be identified.Often these are parents who have success-fully completed treatment plans and whohave established positive working relation-ships within the agency, but the parent lead-ers could be grandparents, foster or adoptiveparents, community parents or others whocare for children. Agencies should addresscultural diversity and children’s specialneeds in selecting parents who can representvarious sectors of the population they serve.Once potential parent leaders have been

Next is an information-sharing session.The social worker in charge of the case willreview in a straight forward manner the factsof the case. Service providers will also givea summary of findings and interventions todate. The family will share their story andaccount of why they are involved with childwelfare.

The next step is to create a plan. Someagencies allow the family to meet privatelyto talk and create a proposal. Some agencieshave the facilitator or all team members col-laborate with the family to create an inter-vention plan. Backup plans are encouraged.Consideration of all possibilities (e.g. “Whatif…?”) is also encouraged. Agreement mustbe reached between the parties, otherwise, acourt review and judicial decision is alwayspossible.

Once an agreement is reached, actionsteps are detailed. Who is responsible foreach step is recorded. The “back up” plansand how potential situations are to be han-dled is also covered. The case worker is gen-erally responsible to implement theintervention plan and monitor it. There canbe additional formal scheduled team meet-ings as well.

Once the initial intervention plan is en-acted, future meetings may not require thefull team. For example, the caseworker, thefoster parent, and the biological parent maywant to meet to review aspects of visitationand joint handling of children and otherteam members may not be necessary. How-ever, it is necessary to include the family inall decision-making meetings.

Peer Support

Peer support has been an effective methodfor parents of children experiencing behav-ioral and emotional problems (see for exam-ple Ruffolo, Kuhn & Evans, 2006), for homevisiting programs (Hepburn, 2004), for com-munity development approaches for early in-tervention (Buysse, Wesley & Skinner,1999), and in schools (Comer & Haynes,1991). More recently, peer support is beingoffered in a more structured fashion to fami-lies involved with the child welfare system.

Parent Partners (sometimes called ParentAdvocates) are parents who have been in-volved with the child welfare system and

successfully regained custody of their chil-dren. Some agencies are hiring these individ-uals to work with families as a supportsystem. Parent Partners attend meetings andcourt with their assigned family. They offerencouragement to the family to completetheir service plans. They are available to at-tend meetings, have additional contacts, andanswer questions. Initial data suggest thatfamilies with Parent Partners are more likelyto be reunified with their children and theirchildren spend far less time in foster carethan children whose parents do not use theservice (Marcenko, Brown, Devoy & Con-way, 2010; Rauber, no date).

Other variations of peer support are pro-grams such as offered by Washington State.Washington State has programs that pairfamilies with experienced foster parents whoassist them. These families are also morelikely to reunite with their children(Marcenko, et al., 2010).

Peer support groups, such as ParentsAnonymous and Circle of Parents are also

Parent Leadershipcontinued from page 3

COMPONENTS OF SUCCESSFUL

PARENT ENGAGEMENT

* A Welcoming Environment

* A Focus on Strengths and

Self-Empowerment

*A Focus on Results

*A Learning Approach

*Respect for Individual Differences

*Network-building and Parent Mentoring

*Sustained Engagement

Surce: The Center for the Study of Social

Policy (CSSP), 2011

© Commonwealth of Virginia

Department of Social Services

VCPN is copyrighted but may be re-

produced or reprinted with permis-

sion. Write for “Request to Reprint”

forms. Request or inquiry is ad-

dressed to: Joann Grayson, Ph.D.,

Department of Psychology, MSC

7704, James Madison University,

Harrisonburg, VA 22807, or call (540)

568-6482. E-Mail: graysojh@jmu.edu

When requesting an address change,

please include a copy of your old

mailing label.

5

identified, they must be recruited and ori-ented to their roles as a parent leader.

It is important that parent leaders haveroles that are satisfying and where their con-tribution is evident and valued. Parents willnot remain involved unless there is benefit tothem. Parents may be reluctant to assumeleadership roles because they are not certainthey will have an impact or that the invest-ment of time and effort will achieve mean-ingful results or they could feel intimidatedacting in a leadership role. Recognizing par-ent contributions and celebrating successesin both formal and informal ways is crucial.

There should be organizational structuresto support shared leadership strategies. Someagencies create Leadership Task Forces orParent Leadership Teams. Regular meetingsand specific goals and tasks are needed forthese groups to function well. Technical as-sistance should also be available, if needed.

Developing a “roadmap” that highlightsshared beliefs, goals, and action steps canunify the partnership. A checklist for effec-tiveness can keep the group focused. A suc-cessful partnership can lead to networksthroughout the community.

There is considerable guidance andemerging models. Interested readers shouldcheck the Resources featured in this issue formore specific guidance. The benefits of en-couraging parent engagement and parentleadership are numerous. As agencies andworkers embrace a collaborative philosophy,techniques and methods will be refined. Thebenefits for families and agencies are con-siderable, but the greatest benefits will be forthe children.

References Available on the Website or by Request

Promising Practices in Parent and Family Involvement –

Annotated Bibliography

This document is a list of articles, reports, and resources for parents, practitioners, agencies, and community part-ners all discussing parent engagement and involvement with families. Among the topics discussed in these resourcesare: helpful tips for engaging parents; the need for an increase in parent involvement; current practices; and currentresearch. Readers may use this list to inform their current practices, create new strategies, and better understand therelationships between children, parents and the Child Welfare System. This list is current as of 2009. For new titlesthat have been added to the Child Information Gateway since 2009, readers can consult: http://basis.caliber.com/cwig/ws/library/docs/gateway/SearchFormThe list can be found at http://www.friendsnrc.org/home

FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP)800 Eastowne Dr. Ste. 105Chapel Hill, NC 27514www.friendsnrc.org

VA CBCAP Contact: Ann Childress(804) 726-7545

ann.childress@dss.virginia.gov

FRIENDS is an acronym for Family Resource Information, Education, and Network Development Service.FRIENDS National Resource Center is a service provided by the United States Department of Health and HumanServices, Administration for Children and Families, Children’s Bureau. Based in North Carolina, FRIENDS providesservices through coordinating with other national organizations and initiatives to prevent child abuse and neglect andpartnering with parents to provide education and support. FRIENDS focuses on primary and secondary preventionefforts such as assisting state Lead Agencies to measure and report on their outcomes in their various programmingefforts. In addition, FRIENDS offers training and technical assistance in best practices in prevention programs; pro-gram planning/design; marketing programs/initiatives; parent involvement/shared leadership; program self assess-ment; respite services; working with diverse populations; and federal initiatives such as healthy marriage, fatherhood,positive youth development, faith-based services, and services to rural communities.

WHAT IS PARENT ENGAGEMENT?

* Direct relationships with service providers

* Mutual support shared among parents

* Advocacy by parents on behalf of their families

* Decision-making and advisory roles in agencies

* Leadership in the community

Source: The Center for the Study of

Social Policy (CSPP), 2011

www.childwelfare.gov

Stories of Parent Leadership, by FRIENDS National Resource Center for

Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention

This insightful resource contains excerpts from the interviews of six parents who workas parent leaders in their communities to help child abuse prevention organizations. View-ers will gain an insider’s perspective on the parenting journey from leadership in the familyto leadership in the community and even in some cases to national leadership. From these

stories, readers can learn how to be parent leaders in their own lives and their own communities. Practitioners canalso use this tool to increase public awareness and parent involvement in programs. These vignettes can accompanytrainings for staff members, partners, parents, or anyone else interested in the value of parent engagement and in-volvement.

The stories of Art, Brenda, Dawn, Eliza, Nancy, and Sam can be found at: http://www.friendsnrc.org/cbcap-priority-areas/parent-leadership-and-involvement/stories-of-parent-leadership

Meaningful Parent Leadership: A Guide for Success, by the

FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention(CBCAP)

Support, education and leadership can be used to help parents develop the skills neededto grow to their full potential as a caregiver. FRIENDS offers resources on parent educationand support to encourage parent engagement and leadership. One such resource is Mean-

ingful Parent Leadership: A Guide for Success which discusses the benefits of parent leadership and involvement aswell as how programs can achieve this goal. Some of the steps discussed include improving staff and agency readi-ness, working with cultural diversity, and working with parents and children with special needs. Most importantly,this guidebook covers how to help parent leaders maintain their new leadership roles and behaviors in order to en-sure long-lasting family benefits. This guide serves as a valuable resource for any agency or organization planningto create or improve their own parent leadership program. This resource can be accessed at:http://www.friendsnrc.org/direct-download-menuitem/doc_download/59-meaningful-parent-leadership-a-guide-for-success

6

Fawn began attending Circle of Parents inDecember 2007. “A family member broughtme. The kids enjoyed it, especially eatingthe pizza. I was going through a separation.He was incarcerated. The group was a re-source. If you want to become the best par-ent you can be, come to Circle of Parents.”

Natalie, a parent leader, adds, “Circlemeans a lot to me because it is my group.Circle was there for me. I did not knowanyone. None of my family lives in Vir-ginia. They had people who I trusted towatch the children. It was comfortable.People weren’t here to praise or punish you,just to give ideas. The children always had aproject to do. For me, it offered an extendedfamily and after awhile, I could call them.”

Circle of Parents is a national network in-cluding a partnership of parent leaders and26 state and regional organizations in 25states. Circle of Parents began in 2000 as afederally-funded collaboration between theNational Family Support Round Table andPrevent Child Abuse America (PCAA). InOctober of 2004, Circle of Parents launchedas its own independent non-profit organiza-tion.

Circle of Parents groups meet weekly toserve those in parenting and caretaking posi-tions for children of all ages. The groups areparent-led with the support of a trainedgroup facilitator. These groups are designedto improve the “Four Circles of Leadership”:personal leadership; leadership in the group;leadership in the larger community; andleadership in the organization.

The central theme of every Circle of Par-ents group is “developing leadership on theindividual, family, community, and societallevels as desired by parent participants”(www.circleofparents.org). Julie Rivnak-McAdam, Consultant for Circle of Parentsfor Prevent Child Abuse Virginia and pastExecutive Director of Rappahannock AreaCouncil for Children and Parents (RAC-CAP), says that parent leadership and en-gagement in child abuse prevention is keybecause “we can’t bring about change unlesspeople are engaged and committed to mak-ing that change. It’s a step-by-step processwhere, by helping parent leaders developleadership skills, they in turn help other par-ents and develop an intertwined network ofsupport which is very empowering.”

Donna, a participant who spoke at Vir-ginia’s Prevention Conference in April of2011, remarked, “Parent leadership makespeople feel empowered. Everyone wins.”Rivnak-McAdam adds, “The parents takeownership. The group then belongs to theparents. We need to step back and allowparents to decide what is best for the group.This can be a real shift for both parents andpractitioners.”

Circle of Parents works to strengthen fam-

ilies and communities by building protectivefactors and minimizing/eliminating risk fac-tors associated with child abuse and neglect.Some objectives that relate to protective fac-tors are: reducing isolation; building self es-teem; reinforcing positive parenting;exposing parents to other families; and im-proving communication and problem solv-ing skills.

Participation in a Circle of Parents groupcan be a stand-alone intervention or it can beused to supplement other prevention and in-tervention programs. The groups are versa-tile; including some groups with specialtytopics such as groups for parents of specialneeds children and post-national disastergroups.

Circle of Parents follows the PCAA andNational Family Support Round Table stan-dards to guide the groups. Some of thesestandards are:

• Utilize a mutual self-help support model;• No intake required, anonymous weekly meetings with no cost;

• Free children’s care;• Confidential and nonjudgmental re-sponses within the limits of the law;

• Leaders and members available to each other between meeting times;

• Community resource information available to all group members.

Circle of Parents has worked to createmany national products, including: NationalStandards and Principles for Self-Help Sup-port Groups; group facilitator manuals; par-ent handbooks; tip sheets; outreachbrochures in Spanish and English; parentleadership development materials; parentleadership training curricula and materials(including a video); and father engagementtraining curricula and materials. All re-sources are available at www.circleofparents.org

Evidence of EffectivenessCircle of Parents groups are effective be-

cause of the peer pressure, role modeling,and compliance with group norms. Circle ofParents has also been described as effectivebecause it presents the opportunity for fami-lies to network and help each other; it buildsconnections between families and commu-nity resources; and the parent-led formatprepares parents to assume leadership rolesin their own families as well as at the com-munity, state, and national levels. Rivnak-McAdam notes that Circle of Parents iseffective because leaders know how to listento and involve parents in the planning andevaluating of their program. “If we listenmore to determine what the needs are, thenour programs will fit everyone’s needs andwe can develop more effective program-ming,” she says.

Program effectiveness has been demon-

strated in five different evaluation studies.The first study was an unofficial study con-ducted by national researchers in the fall of2004. Several focus groups were convenedwhich indicated that parents participating inthe Circle of Parents groups felt supportedand connected to other parents. Participantsalso reported learning how to parent acrossdifferent ages, how to implement non-vio-lent discipline, how to become aware ofthemselves, and how to use community re-sources.

The other four evaluation studies (TheOunce of Prevention Fund of Florida, 2007)were conducted at the state level in four dif-ferent states: Florida, Minnesota, Washing-ton, and North Carolina. These studies wereall based upon self-report of participants buthad very large sample sizes. Some informa-tion was obtained about the participants inthe Circle of Parents groups, why they join,and how they benefit from the groups. Re-searchers also examined to what degree thegroups were meeting the Circle of Parentsobjectives. They calculated the performancemeasures required by the state and identifiedareas of the program that needed improve-ment.

Demographic information revealed that anoverwhelming majority of the participantswere female, and around a third were mar-ried. There were high rates of unemploy-ment and low-income families. Based oninformation collected about previous experi-ence with violence, it was clear that Circleof Parents was successful at attracting at-risk parents. Reasons for participating in-cluded: an interest in learning parenting tipsand ideas; feeling frustrated with youngchildren; and wanting to meet other parentsin similar situations.

The four evaluation studies measured selfreport about parenting skills, self manage-ment skills, quality of parent-child interac-tion, support system awareness, and use ofcommunity resources. Participants reportedimprovement in multiple areas related tohealthy parenting practices and social func-tioning. Three of the four studies found im-provement in parenting skills as well asparent-child relationships. Two of the fourstudies also measured satisfaction and bothfound over 90% of participants reportedbeing satisfied. Specifically, Minnesota’sstudy found that the Circle of Parents pro-gram helped parents to become more em-powered to influence others and Florida’sstudy found the program resulted in im-proved self management skills and nonvio-lent stress coping skills in parents.Future Focuses of Circle of Parents

Circle of Parents

7

Circle of Parents plans to continue to ad-vance their current efforts to build evidencefor the program’s effectiveness by conduct-ing more evaluation studies. They hope toidentify factors that influence parent out-comes, possibly using focus groups andmore long-term follow-up. Circle of Parentswill also be focusing efforts into advocatingfor parent involvement in program and pol-icy development and collaborating withother family support organizations.

For more information:Contact the National Office at: Circle of Parents2100 South Marshall Boulevard Suite 305 Chicago, IL 60623(773) 257-0111fax: (773) 277-0715www.circleofparents.org

or find your local Circle of Parents Group athttp://www.circleofparents.org/locator/index.shtml

for Circle of Parents groups through PreventChild Abuse Virginia:contact Julie Rivnak-McAdam at 540-785-6217 or Johanna Schuchert at (804) 359-6166 x310

Reference

The Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida.(2007). Building the evidence for Circle ofParents as a model for preventing childabuse and neglect: Participant characteris-tics, experiences and outcomes. (IssueBrief). Tallahassee, FL: The Florida Chapterof Prevent Child Abuse America.

Historically, child welfare caseworkers

Growing and Sustaining Parent Engagement: A Toolkit for Parents and Com-

munity Partners, 2010, by The Center for the Study of Social Policy

This new resource helps staff and agencies reinforce and sustain family involvement in decision making. Thetoolkit is a quick and easy guide to engaging parents using three strategies to nurture and grow current work inparent engagement. The three strategies are creating a Parent Engagement 1) Roadmap, 2) Checklist and 3)Support Network. Leading readers through the steps to build and sustain parent engagement, the toolkit includesexamples and helpful questions. There is a plethora of information to help parents and community partners worktogether to create their own engagement strategies. The toolkit includes an entire section of resources for thereader, including source documents and recommended tools.

This toolkit is available at: http://www.cssp.org/publications/growingandsustainingparentengagementtoolkit.pdf

“Bridging the Gap is a practice model anda philosophy,” explained Claudia McDow-ell, LCSW, social worker with the foster careand adoption program at Fairfax County De-partment of Family Services. “The gap webridge is between foster parents and birthparents so that they have communication forthe benefit of the child,” she continued.

In 2004, the Program Manager went to aconference and learned about the model.Denise Goodman, from the National Re-source Center (NRC) for Family-CenteredPractice and Permanency Planning, de-scribed the model. It appeared that the con-cept would be an effective approach for thework in Northern Virginia. Staff approached

the agencies that had contracts with FairfaxCounty Department of Family Services.Shortly, 10 private and 4 public agenciesjoined together in a unique collaboration. Asteering committee spent considerable timein planning.

“In 2008, the planning phase was com-plete and we launched 20 trainings over an8-week period. We trained both the staff andthe foster parents,” notes McDowell. Train-ing is an ongoing process as new staff andfoster parents are added to the agency.

The cornerstone of the approach is the“Icebreaker” meeting that is held within aweek of the child entering foster care. Themeeting is a short (30 minutes), facilitated,child-focused meeting that allows the birthparents and the foster parents to meet and toshare information about the needs of thechild. The child may also attend the meetingat the discretion of the social worker. Thecaseworker arranges and facilitates themeeting and continues to remain involved inthe contacts. Subsequent communication canvary along a continuum. Sometimes the bio-logical parent will visit at the foster home.In other cases, there may be phone calls.Safety is never compromised, so if there is adangerous, assaultive parent, there will belittle or no contact with the foster parents.

There are many benefits to a climate thatallows biological and foster parents to de-velop a relationship and work as a team. Ifthe biological parents are respected and con-sulted, they may find the encouragement an

incentive to help complete their reunificationplan. The biological parents know their childwell and foster parents can benefit from theirinsights. The child needs permission to relatewell to both families and regard each in apositive fashion. Having both sets of care-takers working together can ease the child’stransition out of foster care, whether thechild returns home or is being adopted.

“Our program fits well with the VirginiaDepartment of Social Services initiatives andphilosophy,” said McDowell. She continues,“Some foster parents tell us that they havebeen collaborating with biological parents inthe past on an informal basis. Even thoughthe concept is not new, it is a public state-ment that we as an agency support the col-laboration. The Icebreaker meeting offers astart to the working relationship and under-scores our commitment to engaging parentsin the foster care process.”

McDowell says that her agency is gather-ing data to compare placement stabilityunder the new system to data from beforethe implementation. They are also interestedin whether or not the bridging practicesboost reunification rates.

Readers can find more information aboutBridging the Gap on the web at the Chil-dren’s Bureau Express at www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_fam_engagement/f_fam_engagement4.cfm#virginia. Claudia McDowellcan be reached by e-mail at: Claudia.McDowell@fairfaxcounty.gov

BRIDGING THE GAP: CONNECTINGBIRTH AND FOSTER PARENTS

8

have interacted with mothers of children andless often with their fathers (Jenkins, 2009;O’Donnell, 1999; Raichel, 2009; Velazquez,Edwards, Vincent & Reynolds, 2009). Morerecently, there has been an emphasis on in-volving fathers in child welfare.

Why the Lack of Father Involvement?

The reasons for lack of father involvementare understandable. Fathers may not be pres-ent in the home. According to US CensusBureau data, over 24 million American chil-dren (33%) live without their biological fa-ther. Nearly 2 of 3 (64%) African-Americanchildren, one in three (34%) Hispanic chil-dren and one of four (25%) white childrenlive with single mothers(www.fatherhood.org/, 2011).

The statistics for the Commonwealth ofVirginia are similar to national statistics. Ac-cording to the Voices for Virginia’s Children2009 data set, 70% of the child population inVirginia lives in a two-parent household.However, of the remaining 30%, 27% aregrowing up with no involved father or step-father. Single mothers are raising 23% ofthese children while grandparents are raisingthe remaining 4% (Voices for Virginia’sChildren, 2009).

Marital status is linked to living with a bi-ological father. While 70% of all fathers be-tween 15 and 54 lived with at least one childin 2004, less than half of the never-marriedfathers lived with any biological child(Emens & Dye, 2007). Births to unmarriedwomen are increasing, according to datafrom the U.S. Census Bureau (2011). Birthsto unmarried women in 1980 were 18.4% ofall births and the percentages have increasedto 40.6% in 2008.

Some absent fathers are in prison. In 2007,there were 1.7 million children in Americawith a parent in prison. Of these incarceratedparents, 92% (744,200) were fathers. Half ofall incarcerated men are parents (Schimer,

Nellis & Mauer, 2011). A study by the U.S.Department of Health and Human Servicescollected data from 1,958 cases in fourstates- Arizona; Massachusetts; Minnesota;and Tennessee. They found that 31% of theabsent fathers were incarcerated. A study byO’Donnell (1999) of 74 fathers whose chil-dren were in foster care in Chicago found16% were incarcerated or involved with thelegal system.

Fathers may be uninvolved because oflack of awareness of the status of their chil-dren. Especially if there is a conflicted rela-tionship with the mother of the child, thefather may have had little contact with hischildren. The majority of children in fostercare (50 to 80%) are removed from a singlemother or unmarried couple families (U.S.DHHS, 2006).

If the father is living in the home or in-volved with his children, employment com-mitments can be a factor in his degree ofinvolvement (Bayley, Wallace & Choudhry,2009; Green, 2003). Mothers may have ob-jections or fears about father involvement.These may be realistic, such as in cases ofdomestic violence, abuse of the childrenand/or substance addiction (Green, 2003;Raichel, 2009; Waller & Swisher, 2006).Mothers may also want to control the fa-ther’s access to the children and fathers mayfeel angry and used (Cherry & Brown,2009).

Caseworker bias and attitudes of staff canbe an issue (Bayley et al., 2009; Cherry &Brown, 2009; Green, 2003; Raichel, 2009).A caseworker may have preconceptionsabout fathers based on a combination of theirown past history, cultural stereotypes, or pastexperiences with trying to engage with fa-thers. A caseworker who is unwelcoming tofathers will receive little response and lim-ited father engagement.

Finances can be an issue when trying toengage fathers. Fathers are aware that case-workers are required to report their locationto child support enforcement. If they havelittle income, other children to support, or

are unemployed, fathers might want to avoidbeing located or may be wary of interactionwith the caseworker (Raichel, 2009). Somefathers are trapped in a perpetual cycle ofjail, release, and then further imprisonmentdue to problems with support enforcement(Cherry & Brown, 2009).

Some men may lack positive role model-ing for fathering and simply may not knowhow to be involved. For example, they mayhave the idea that being a good parent meansbuying things for children. The lack of skillsand practice, coupled with low self-esteem,can be internal motivators to avoid engage-ment (Cherry & Brown, 2009; Circle of Par-ents, 2011; Pruett, Cowan, Cowan & Pruett,2009; Raichel, 2009).

Shelia Bazemore, M.Ed. is a Family In-volvement Specialist for the North CarolinaDepartment of Public Instruction. She pre-sented a workshop, “Ties that Bind: AreDads a Vital Link?” at Virginia’s 2011 ChildAbuse Prevention Conference in Richmond.She notes that child welfare services are typ-ically considered to be “women’s services”and may even be listed in that fashion intelephone books and brochures. Child serv-ice agencies need to find a “new identity”and welcome both parents. Bazemore alsonotes that many fathers “come with multipleissues and are already overwhelmed.” Multi-ple stresses can interfere with father engage-ment.

Benefits of Father Involvement

There is general agreement that positivefather involvement has many benefits forchildren. Among the numerous researchfindings are that children with involved fa-thers have: better cognitive and intellectualdevelopment; higher self-esteem; better so-cial competence; fewer signs of depression;deeper and better friendship patterns; andbetter self-control and emotional manage-ment (Circle of Parents, 2011).

PROMOTING FATHERENGAGEMENT

9

Societal norms may consign the father tobeing a secondary caregiver, but researchshows that infants are able to form their pri-mary relationship with a father rather thanthe mother. Fathers’ influences can be long-term. Later in life, psychological disorderssuch as substance abuse and depression arefound to correlate more to the father’s be-havior and engagement than to the mother’s(Parke, 2004; Roelofs et al., 2006;Veneziano, 2003). Also, fathers have beenshown to be more influential than mothers inthe child’s level of healthy peer group in-volvement (Updegraff, McHale, Crouter, &Kupanoff; 2001).

General father involvement appears toprovide protective factors against tobaccouse and behavior problems, as well as lead-ing to better educational outcomes and bettersocial functioning in both childhood andadulthood. In adulthood, those with engagedfathers showed a greater capacity for empa-thy and more internal locus of control(Sarkadi, Kristiansson, Oberklaid, & Brem-berg; 2008).

General father involvement can be dividedinto three different aspects: accessibility –the father’s presence and availability; en-gagement – direct contact such as playingwith or reading to the child; and responsibil-ity – participation in decisions for areas suchas child care or health care and other practi-cal issues (Lamb, Pleck, Charnov, & Levine;1987). High accessibility has been shown toresult in less aggressive behavior in boysand have a protective effect against involve-ment with the police for girls. Father en-gagement was shown to result in fewerbehavior problems, lower incidences ofdelinquency in early adulthood, and had aprotective effect against criminality in adult-hood. Father engagement also was corre-lated with lower incidence of economicdisadvantage in adulthood, better cognitivedevelopment, higher IQ scores, and de-creased risk of psychological morbidity(Sarkadi et al., 2008).

There are benefits of father engagementthat are specific to child protective servicesand foster care as well. Not only can chil-dren benefit from a positive relationshipwith their father, but children with involvedfathers may also experience improved out-comes. For example, Velazquez, Edwards,Vincent & Reynolds (2009) report that themedian length of stay in foster care for chil-dren of married parents is consistently lessthan the length of stay for children of singleparents. Reunification rates are also higher ifthe couple is married. The presence of a non-resident father may mean additional perma-nency options and family resources. Perman-ency may also be expedited by placing chil-dren with their nonresident fathers or pater-nal kin (U.S. DHHS, 2006).

While research is lacking on whether en-gaging fathers enhances the well-being or

Virginia Putative Father Registry

Virginia Department of Social Services801 E. Main Street, Richmond, VA 23229 1-877-IF DADDY (1-877-433-2339) email: putativefather@dss.virginia.gov

The Virginia Putative Father Registry is a confidential database designed toprotect the rights of a putative father who wants to be notified in the event ofa proceeding for adoption of, or termination of parental rights for a child he mayhave fathered. A putative father is a man who is not married to the child’smother. Further, the court has not determined that he is the child’s father; hehas not signed a written agreement acknowledging that he is the child’s father;and he has not adopted the child. When a putative father registers with the Vir-ginia Putative Father Registry, and when his registration information matchesa request, the authorized requestor is responsible to notify the putative fatherof termination of parental rights and/or adoption proceedings. Authorized re-questors may be the mother of the child; an attorney representing a party in atermination of parental rights or an adoption proceeding; a party to an adoption;a child-placing agency; a court or a person designated by the court; other states’putative father registries; support enforcement agencies; or any agency au-thorized by law. Putative fathers who fail to register waive their right to benotified regarding termination of parental right procedures or to be notified of adoption proceedings or to con-sent to an adoption involving a child they may have fathered. With the exception of postage when mailing theregistration form, there is no cost to register with the Virginia Putative Father Registry. Registering with the Vir-ginia Putative Father Registry does not prove that a man is the biological father of the child. Assistance with es-tablishing paternity can be obtained from the Virginia Paternity Establishment Program at 1-866-398-4841.

continued on page 10

24/7 Dad Training Curriculum,

National Fatherhood Initiative20410 Observation Drive, Suite 107Germantown, MD 20876(301) 948-0599 Fax: (301) 948-6776email: info@fatherhood.orgwww.fatherhood.org

24/7 Dad is a fatherhood training program available through the National FatherhoodInitiative. This training curriculum was developed by fathering and parenting experts.The tools, strategies, and exercises were designed to appeal to fathers of all races, reli-gions, cultures, and backgrounds. The facilitator manual has been recently updated toinclude feedback and helpful tips from facilitators around the country. This recent up-date also includes expanded information and more relevant content with simplified,easy-to-use tools. This program is available in a more basic format: 24/7 Dad A.M., and a more in-depth ver-sion: 24/7 Dad P.M. Both curricula include 12 two-hour sessions that can be implemented in a group setting orone-on-one in a home-based program. Each curriculum kit includes a facilitator’s manual, fathering handbooksfor the dads, and a CD-ROM with an evaluation tool and marketing resources. Many important topics are cov-ered in depth, including: masculinity; emotions; discipline; co-parenting; stress; anger management; communi-cation; and work-family balance. The full curriculum kit is available for $400 at www.fatherhood.org

The American Bar Association’s

National Quality Improvement Center on

Non-Resident Fathers and the Child Welfare System (QIC-NRF)

This project, created in 2006, came as a result of the Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSRs) and the dis-covery that little meaningful engagement occurs between the child welfare system and fathers or other paternalrelatives. These findings were consistent with other data throughout the nation. After conducting a nationalneeds assessment, QIC-NRF funded four projects in four different states (Colorado, Indiana, Texas, and Wash-ington) to determine the impact of non-resident father involvement on child welfare outcomes including childsafety, permanence, and well-being. The website contains the information gained through this study. It also of-fers resources for parents, practitioners, and anyone involved in the child welfare system including child wel-fare professionals as well as attorneys and judges.More information can be found at: http://www.fatherhoodqic.org/

mother and the father. Sometimes a parentcan be located through the internet.

Early location is recommended. A studyby the U.S. Department of Health andHuman Services (2006) found that mostnon-resident fathers (68%) were identifiedearly in the case. Caseworkers reported ask-ing the mother, the mother’s relatives, thechild, siblings, and other workers as well asthe father’s relatives to try to locate the non-resident father. Workers also consulted anumber of other sources including law en-forcement, public assistance records and de-partment of motor vehicles records, andtelephone books. Some workers also usedthe state’s locator service for support en-forcement. Fathers who were not locatedearly were much more difficult to engage.

For prevention services or early interven-tion, it is suggested to have a father’s groupmeet at the same time as the mother’s groupmeeting or combine genders into a singlegroup. Bayley et al. (2009) suggest capitaliz-ing on mothers who are already involved inthe service to advocate with the fathers. Par-ent help lines can sometimes be a source ofreferrals of stressed parents, as can churchesand faith-based groups. Bayley et al. (2009)suggest advertising in pubs, sports venues,workplaces and employment agencies inorder to attract the attention of a greaternumber of fathers.

The Initial Contact

The initial contact appears very important.Raichel (2009) suggests personal contactrather than a letter. The approach, tone, anddegree of connection can determine whetheror not the father will engage. Listening tothe father’s perspectives is crucial. Askingwhat is needed, rather than telling the fatherwhat is needed, can be effective.

On-going Contact

Engagement is a process and requiresmany contacts. The entire team is responsi-ble to make the father feel welcome and toinclude him in decision-making. The fathershould be invited to all meetings and be ex-pected to participate in the decision-making.

Staff training can be a factor. For example,clinicians who have greater training in fam-ily systems and who operate with flexiblework hours are more effective in involvingfathers in their child’s therapy. Also, fathersare more likely to stay involved if staff relat-

ing to him are male (Phares, Fields, & Bini-tie, 2006).

Agencies can consider whether or nottheir atmosphere is “father-friendly.” For ex-ample, are there male-oriented magazines inthe waiting room? Is the furniture comfort-able for males? Is the art work and otherdecorations chosen to appeal to both gen-ders? (Phares et al., 2006).

Visits between the father and the childrenmight be more productive in community lo-cations such as playgrounds where the fatherand children can relate through activities.Other potential choices are the children’ssection of public libraries, recreation centersor a child-friendly eating location (picnicarea). Involving children in life skills activi-ties or attending a child’s sporting event orschool event are ways that fathers can be ac-tively involved with their children. Fatherscan also help with homework, attend schooltrips, and volunteer at the child’s school.Letters, e-mails, and phone calls are othermethods of staying connected.

Fathers may need considerable emotionalsupport. They may also need concrete sup-port such as help in finding employment,transportation, and ongoing services (Cherry& Brown, 2009). They may have limitedparenting skills and need assistance in plan-ning visits and other contacts with their chil-dren.

Placement with the father is not always anoption. The U.S. DHHS found many obsta-cles to permanent placement with fathers.The major challenges were substance useand addiction, involvement with the criminaljustice system, and the presence of multipleproblems. Further, only 23% of the fatherswho were offered services utilized them.

Why Programs are Successful

There is little research to guide those whowish to increase father engagement in childwelfare. Circle of Parents (2011) has sum-marized some reasons why successful pro-grams were effective. They suggest thatagencies “throw out the welcome mat” andembrace fathers enthusiastically. A positivestaff attitude is vital. Recruiting fathers atkey times (for example, at the birth of thechild for an early intervention effort or at thetime of removal for a foster care situation)can help. While female workers can developgender sensitivity, the presence of maleworkers is reassuring and very helpful. Fi-nally, funding sustainability is essential.

References Available on the Website or by Request

10

case outcomes for foster children, lack of fa-ther involvement means that caseworkersmay never know whether a father can helphis child. By engaging fathers, workers maylearn important aspects of medical history orthat the child has resources available such asmedical insurance, survivor benefits, orchild support (U.S. DHHS, 2006).

Engaging Fathers

Agency Commitment

The decision to spend time, energy, andresources to locate and engage fathers com-petes with many other demands on case-workers. In the past, fathers have beenignored and even discouraged from partici-pation. While the mother’s connection to thechild was presumed, the father needed todemonstrate a connection before he was in-cluded (Velazquez et al., 2009). To have ef-fective father engagement, agency policy, aswell as individual workers, must recognizethe father as an equal parent with the samerights and responsibilities as the mother.Agencies must invest similar efforts in locat-ing fathers and paternal kin as is done formothers and maternal kin. Fathers must beincluded equally in the decision-making (Ve-lazquez et al.). Safety issues do need to beaddressed, both for children and for caseworkers (U.S. DHHS, 2006). There are caseswhere the father’s involvement is not safe.

Reyes (2009) recommends building staffcommitment through total staff training.Agencies can create a long-term trainingplan and provide ongoing coaching and sup-port for workers. In the U.S. DHHS study(2006), workers who had received trainingwere more likely to locate fathers and en-gage with them. Caseworker attitude is cru-cial. During her workshop, Bazemorecommented, “We must change our thinking.Father engagement is not about ‘dead beatdads.’ It’s about improving child welfare.”

Locating and Recruiting Fathers

Fathers can be referred or located throughthe courts or through family members. Themothers, girlfriends, and wives of fatherscan be an asset in their location if there arepositive relationships between the child’s

Father Engagementcontinued from page 10

11

What About the Dads?: Child Welfare Agencies’ Efforts to

Identify, Locate and Involve Nonresident Fathers, by the U.S. Depart-

ment of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation

Due to the growing interest in fathers’ contributions to family stability and healthy child development,this report was created for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to examine the extent towhich child welfare agencies involve nonresident fathers of foster children in casework and permanencyplanning. Other areas explored were increasing father involvement and challenges to father involvement.Almost two thousand cases were reviewed across the states of Arizona, Massachusetts, Minnesota, andTennessee. Interviews were conducted with child welfare administrators as well as caseworkers. This re-port provides an extremely comprehensive list of findings for every aspect of the agency/caseworker/par-ent relationship. The full report is available at http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/06/cw-involve-dads/report.pdf

Engaging Nonresident Fathers in Child Welfare Cases: A Guide

for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), by Jessica R. Kendall

and Lisa Pilnik, 2010

This guide was written to help CASA volunteers increase nonresident father engagement but it is helpfulfor any practitioner working with foster children and nonresident fathers. This handbook emphasizes theimportance of father involvement and the common barriers that prevent it. The guide offers in-depth ex-amination of the emotions and personal issues nonresident fathers may be experiencing to enable readersto understand how best to encourage and engage them. Tips are included for helping fathers navigate childwelfare cases. Attention is given to assisting previously nonresident fathers who have just received their childas a placement and who may be inexperienced. Lastly the guide covers fathers’ legal rights in child wel-fare cases so that the volunteer can make certain the father is properly informed.The full guide can be found at: http://www.fatherhoodqic.org/casa_brief.pdf

The American Humane Association’s National

Fatherhood Initiative

Many children are living without any paternal influence in their lives. Studies have documented the neg-

ative effects of living without a father. The American Humane Association created the National Father-hood Initiative to support children in recapturing or developing important and long-lasting relationshipswith their fathers and to help fathers understand and assume their role as parents. This website serves asa central location for several resources such as trainings, tips, and literature. There are resources for fa-thers in all situations including resident fathers, non-resident fathers, single fathers, incarcerated fathers,and fathers struggling with substance use. Every dad should use this website to learn how to spend morequality time with their child and how to build meaningful relationships no matter what their circumstances.More information can be found at: http://www.americanhumane.org/children/programs/fatherhood-initiative/

Bringing Back the Dads: Engaging Non-Resident Fathers in the Child

Welfare System, by The American Humane Society

This informational publication is designed to educate agencies and practitioners about the father/child relationship, rea-sons for father absenteeism, the need for father engagement, and ways to increase father involvement. Current research onincreasing father involvement in the child welfare system is discussed at length. Six different articles present a solid and well-rounded case for the need for increased paternal participation in the child welfare system. Articles discuss current research,engagement in child welfare cases, father engagement effects on child brain development, and fathers as family resources.Many useful tips for child welfare workers are included that can help make the process of engaging fathers, especially non-resident fathers, more successful.This publication is available at: http://www.americanhumane.org/assets/pdfs/children/protecting-children-journal/pc-24-2.pdfor at: http://fatherhoodqic.org/17th_natl_conf_nrf_engagement_4_1_09.pdf

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If a family is in need of protective serv-ices, workers will need to learn more thanthe facts of the immediate incident causingthe referral. It is important to develop an un-derstanding of what has occurred and whatwill be required to prevent reoccurrence ofthe abuse or neglect. Assessment is theprocess of understanding the whole situation(Schene, 2005).

Assessment is the foundation of effectivepractice with children and families. Family-centered assessment focuses on the entirefamily, values the family’s participation, andrespects the family’s cultural backgroundand ethnicity. Family-centered assessmenthelps families identify their strengths, needs,challenges, and resources. It assists the fam-ily in developing service plans that achieveand maintain safety, permanency, and familywell-being (Child Welfare Information Gate-way, 2010).

Assessment is an ongoing process, as riskand protective factors can change over time.Through service provision and meetingswith the family, more is learned. The assess-ment is best completed in partnership withthe family. Thus, engagement and buildingworking relationships is important to the as-sessment process (Schene, 2005).

The focus should move from the incidentcausing CPS involvement to an understand-ing of behavioral patterns over time. All con-tributing factors (such as family history,domestic violence, substance use, mentalhealth, chronic health problems, andpoverty) should be included. Strengths andprotective factors should be highlighted andresources identified.

The Friends National Resource Center forCommunity-Based Child Abuse Preventionhas identified five primary protective factorsfor families:

12

* Parental Resilience (coping and problem-solving abilities)

* Social Connectedness* Concrete Support* Knowledge of Parenting and Child

Development* Ability to Positively Communicate

Emotions (and help their children de-velop positive interactions with others)

The National Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice and Permanency Planninghas published Comprehensive Family As-sessment Guidelines for Child Welfare, a 58-page guidebook that addresses thecomponents of comprehensive family as-sessment. It shows the linkages to serviceplanning and provision and includes sugges-tions about engaging families in the assess-ment process. It is enhanced by a concretecase example (Schene, 2005). The Guide-lines can be assessed through the Child Wel-fare Information Gateway athttp://www.childwelfare.gov/famcentered/casework/assessment.cfm

FAMILY ASSESSMENT