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State Guardian ad Litem Board. Bringing Back the Dads: Changing Practices in Child Welfare Systems Resa Gilats , J.D., M.S.L.A ., Program Analyst Brian Ansberry, M.S., GAL Program Manager March 31, 2012. Overview. Background/video clip Evely n Bringing Back the Dads project overview
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State Guardian ad Litem Board Bringing Back the Dads: Changing Practices in Child Welfare Systems ResaGilats, J.D., M.S.L.A., Program Analyst Brian Ansberry, M.S., GAL Program Manager March 31, 2012
Overview • Background/video clip Evelyn • Bringing Back the Dads project overview • Protecting Children Vol. 26, Number 2, 2011—nine articles overview • Highlights of four articles • Identify possible efforts/GAL role • Application to the GAL • Reflection • Wrap up
Background • The plight of Desmond Doyle—1953—Ireland • RSPCA—Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals • ASPCA—American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals founded by Henry Bergh • Mary Ellen’s story—child protection in America • American Humane Association
Bringing Back the Dads Project • Understand National Quality Improvement Center on Non-resident Fathers and the Child Welfare System (QIC NRF) • Definition of non-resident father: fathers who do not live with their children • The QIC NRF was a 5-year (2007-2011) federally funded project to promote knowledge development around engaging non-resident fathers of children involved in the child welfare system • Impact of that engagement on safety, permanency, and well-being outcomes
Bringing Back the Dads Project • The American Humane Association implemented the QIC NRF with its partners, the ABA Center on Children and the Law and the National Fatherhood Initiative • The project was based on U.S. Health and Human Services Child and Family Services Reviews findings • Evidence of little meaningful engagement occurs between the child welfare professionals and fathers in the system
Bringing Back the Dads Project • Through a competitive process, the QIC NRF selected four grantees to serve as implementation sites for a model intervention known as Bringing Back the Dads • Four sites: • Indiana Fathers and Families Center and Indiana Department of Child Services (Marion County)
Bringing Back the Dads Project • The Division of Children and Family Services (Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Region IV; King County) and Divine Alternatives for Dads • El Paso County (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and the Center on Fathering • Texas Department of Family And Protective Services (Tarrant County; Ft. Worth) and the Fatherhood New Day Services
Bringing Back the Dads Project • Bringing Back the Dads • Peer led, 20-week course for fathers • Culminated in the creation of a toolkit • Peer-led curriculum for fathers in the child welfare system • Curriculum on father engagement for caseworkers • Curriculum for legal professionals • Guide for Fathers • Court engagement tools • Father Friendly Check Ups • Other tools
Nine Articles • Protecting Children is a quarterly publication of the American Human Association • Volume 26, Number 2, 2011 was devoted to publishing a series of articles that captured the lessons learned from the QIC NRF and the Bringing Back the Dads model intervention at the four participating sites
What Are the Nine Articles? • Fathers’ Voices in the Child Welfare System: Not About Us Without Us • Ron J. Clark and Greg Cox • Interaction with Mothers, Children, and Systems: Non-Resident Fathers’ Self-Reports • Joanna Reynolds • Where are the Dads? Identifying, Locating, Contacting, and Engaging Non-Resident Fathers of Children in Foster Care • Nancy Thoeness, Carol J. Harper, et al.
What Are the Nine Articles? • Empowering Fathers: Changing Practice in Public Child Welfare • Gail Folaron, JieruBai, and Rob Schneider • Quality Improvement Center on Non-Resident Fathers in the Child Welfare System: How Facilitators Rated the Sessions in the Model Intervention • Paul Frankel and Joanna Reynolds • See handout, pp. 67-68
What Are the Nine Articles? • Helping Dads Be There for Their Kids: A Program Spotlight • Rich Batten and Maggie Spain • Fathers in Child Welfare and Legislative Policy • John Sciamanna • The Role of Child Advocates in Engaging Non-Resident Fathers and Their Families in Child Welfare Cases • Lara Bruce
What Are the Nine Articles? • The Court’s Role in Engaging Fathers: Resources from the QIC NRF • Lisa Pilnik and Jessica Kendall
Not About Us Without Us • “one of the crucial mistakes of so many well-meaning efforts is the implementation of services with minimal to no input from the target audience” • QIC NRF as part of the project, formed a National Fathers Advisory Council from a select group of fathers who came primarily from the four implementation sites • Voice for fathers; paid stipends and travel • They provided advisory comments for QIC NRF • They helped create tools, including taped interviews • Met with local officials and participated in community forums • They all had one thing in common: they loved their children
Identifying, Locating, Contacting and Engaging Non-Resident Fathers • Includes a discussion about how the fathers for the QIC NRF were found • All four sites: • 3,935 fathers • 1,081 Indiana • 1,019 Texas • 1,000 Washington • 835 Colorado • Obstacles and ineligibility; incarceration, failed location attempts
Identifying, Locating, Contacting and Engaging Non-Resident Fathers • Startling data • Children who enter foster care, 50-80% are removed from single-mother or unmarried-couple families • Overall, only 3% of the fathers of children removed from their homes during the project period were considered to be program participants—they had to attend at least three program sessions • Conclusion: examine alternative ways in which to reach out to a larger number of fathers
Helping Dads Be There • Efforts in Colorado of the Colorado Promoting Responsible Fatherhood (PRF) Initiative • Awarded local five-year grants for community-based initiatives • Operated under state guidelines but with local flexibility • Provided case management, parenting education, healthy relationships classes, and job readiness training • 70% of the funding was earmarked for agencies with budgets under $300,000 and six or fewer employees • Served 5,000 fathers • Required collaborations: domestic violence provider, workforce program, mental health provider, local social services
Helping Dads Be There • Other key features of the PRF Initiative included a public awareness campaign called Be There for Your Kids, kicked off by the governor • Web site (link at end) • To increase referrals from local social services departments, they held free training programs in five locations around the state • Fathers participated by telling their stories • Much more, worth checking out
Role of Child Advocates • Reviews the role of the CASA • Child advocate role: • Assist child’s caseworker in identifying and locating non-resident fathers • Ensure fathers engage in child welfare process with their children • Work to help overcome agency and worker bias against men and fathers
Role of Child Advocates • Also, work with mothers • Identification and location tips • See handout from article, pp. 91-92 • Many suggestions presented, form the basis for the next portion of this session
Possibilities for Engaging Fathers • Flip chart exercise • Capture take aways from the articles • What ideas have we heard about from this review? • Others we can think of • Apply to the role of the GAL • Conclude with what is within the GAL role • Sharing about dads • A moment to reflect
Wrap Up • www.americanhumane.org • www.fatherhoodqic.org • www.coloradodads.com • http://www.americanhumane.org/children/programs/fatherhood-initiative/about.html