1 Kids Need Their Dads Fatherhood Workgroup Report State Children’s Roundtable State Children’s Roundtable May 27, 2011 Harrisburg, PA

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Kids Need Their Dads

Fatherhood Workgroup ReportFatherhood Workgroup Report

State Children’s RoundtableState Children’s RoundtableMay 27, 2011May 27, 2011

Harrisburg, PAHarrisburg, PA

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Who is the Nonresident Who is the Nonresident Father?Father?

Nonresident fathers are:

Men whose children are involved in the child welfare system

Men who did not live with their children when the suspected abuse or neglect occurred

Often referred to as non-custodial fathers

Advocating for Nonresident Fathers in Child Welfare Court CasesAdvocating for Nonresident Fathers in Child Welfare Court Cases, ABA Center on Children and , ABA Center on Children and the Law, National Quality Improvement Center. Copyright 2009.the Law, National Quality Improvement Center. Copyright 2009.

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Goals & ObjectivesGoals & Objectives

Establish Protocol for:Establish Protocol for: Establishing PaternityEstablishing Paternity Locating FathersLocating Fathers

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Goals & ObjectivesGoals & Objectives

Engaging Fathers in:Engaging Fathers in: Case PlanningCase Planning ServicesServices Court ProcessCourt Process

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Fatherhood SurveyFatherhood Survey

Identifying fathersIdentifying fathersEngaging fathers in case planning and Engaging fathers in case planning and

services, including incarcerated fathersservices, including incarcerated fathersVisits for fathers, including Visits for fathers, including

incarcerated fathersincarcerated fathersPerceived barriers to fathers full Perceived barriers to fathers full

engagement and participation engagement and participation

Focus of the survey:

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Establishing PaternityEstablishing Paternity

One Father per One Father per Child!!!!!Child!!!!!

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Agency ProtocolAgency Protocol

Check with the Bureau of Child Support Enforcement (BCSE) paternity tracking system for acknowledgements of paternity. In the case of infants, this check should be conducted after a three-month interval

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Ask/interview the child

Ask/interview the maternal relatives or close friends

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Check collateral sources Conduct Accurint search

and utilize social networking sites.

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Court ProtocolCourt Protocol

Establish a legal father—only one per child

Question mother and/or the child under oath

Explain to mother the importance of establishing paternity

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If no legal father & alleged father appears, judge should do a colloquy on the record about obligations (child support, etc.)

Order genetic testing

Ask father to sign an acknowledgement of paternity

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In cases with a legal father and there is a question or challenge to paternity

• Require challenging party to file a motion or petition seek genetic testing with service upon and notice to the legal father and all partiesparties

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Court order should reflect

whether paternity has been established and, if not, the reason(s) it has not been and what efforts, are being made to establish paternity

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If paternity has not been established before the adjudication of dependency, but is subsequently established through acknowledgement or genetic testing, the court should enter an order establishing paternity

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When paternity is established, When paternity is established, the court should consider filing the court should consider filing a copy of the order with a copy of the order with Domestic Relations to prevent Domestic Relations to prevent later inconsistencieslater inconsistencies

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If paternity has not been established, at every court hearing, the court should inquire as to the efforts that have been made to establish paternity

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Locating Fathers

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Explain to mother the Explain to mother the importance of locating father importance of locating father by asking/interviewing the by asking/interviewing the mother, the child, relatives, mother, the child, relatives, friends and associates friends and associates regarding father—CWs regarding father—CWs should be trained in should be trained in engagement skills with engagement skills with family members and youthfamily members and youth

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Go to the last known address for Go to the last known address for the father in an attempt to the father in an attempt to personally engage with the personally engage with the father who may still be residing father who may still be residing there; or interview the current there; or interview the current residents and neighbors, who residents and neighbors, who may have information such as a may have information such as a forwarding address or other forwarding address or other contactscontacts

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Complete a diligent search for Complete a diligent search for the whereabouts of the father the whereabouts of the father by checking databases related by checking databases related to jails and prisons, Department to jails and prisons, Department of Public Welfare records, of Public Welfare records, PennDOT records, voter PennDOT records, voter registration rolls, Armed Forces, registration rolls, Armed Forces, etc. etc.

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Consider social networking sites Consider social networking sites such as Facebooksuch as Facebook

If the father is paying child If the father is paying child support through wage support through wage attachments or the court, check attachments or the court, check PACSES for a record of his PACSES for a record of his address, employer, or other address, employer, or other possibly useful informationpossibly useful information

Conduct an Accurint searchConduct an Accurint search

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Send letters to the last known Send letters to the last known address and request post office address and request post office verification of receipt with the hope verification of receipt with the hope of getting a forwarding addressof getting a forwarding address

Contact the Postmaster via the Contact the Postmaster via the Freedom of Information Act to Freedom of Information Act to access a forwarding address or to access a forwarding address or to verify a current mail delivery verify a current mail delivery addressaddress

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Utilize all six steps of the Utilize all six steps of the Family Finding process for Family Finding process for fathers and extended family fathers and extended family members. These steps are: members. These steps are: Discovery, Engagement, Discovery, Engagement, Planning, Decision Making, Planning, Decision Making, Follow Up, and EvaluationFollow Up, and Evaluation

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If a child has been placed in If a child has been placed in out-of-home care, the out-of-home care, the Fostering Connections Act Fostering Connections Act requires the agency to notify requires the agency to notify all adult relatives to the third all adult relatives to the third degree within 30 days of degree within 30 days of placement—this action can placement—this action can lead to location of the father lead to location of the father

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If last known address is in If last known address is in another state, contact the another state, contact the responsible child welfare responsible child welfare agency and request a courtesy agency and request a courtesy home visit in an attempt to home visit in an attempt to locate father or arrange a visit locate father or arrange a visit by the assigned CW, if within by the assigned CW, if within reasonable travel distancereasonable travel distance

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Update efforts to locate father Update efforts to locate father every 3 months and every 3 months and completing a full search completing a full search annually until father is locatedannually until father is located

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Where the father has not been Where the father has not been located, the judge or master located, the judge or master should ask/interview mother, the should ask/interview mother, the child, and others under oath and child, and others under oath and on the record regarding the on the record regarding the whereabouts of the fatherwhereabouts of the father

Judges and masters should be Judges and masters should be trained on how to properly engage trained on how to properly engage mother, the child, and othersmother, the child, and others

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The judge or master should ask The judge or master should ask the agency to place on the record the agency to place on the record the efforts made to locate the the efforts made to locate the fatherfather

The judge or master should The judge or master should require the agency to take require the agency to take affirmative steps to locate the affirmative steps to locate the fatherfather

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The court order should reflect the The court order should reflect the efforts made or needed to locate efforts made or needed to locate the fatherthe father

The judge or master should The judge or master should consider a finding of “No consider a finding of “No Reasonable Efforts” if the agency Reasonable Efforts” if the agency has not made attempts to locate has not made attempts to locate the fatherthe father

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Engaging FathersEngaging Fathers

Engagement with a non-custodial father is an

ongoing, strength-based, solution focused process

It takes more than sending

him a letter!

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Engagement Requires a Engagement Requires a Cultural ChangeCultural Change

We must recognize and acknowledge the value of fathers in the lives of their

children

Leadership from the top is needed to accomplish this

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In most cases, CW should visit In most cases, CW should visit father in his home (same as father in his home (same as w/mother)w/mother)

Why should the father be Why should the father be treated differently?treated differently?

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The CW should engage mother The CW should engage mother as to the importance of having as to the importance of having the father involved in the case the father involved in the case planningplanning

CWs should be trained on CWs should be trained on engaging mother engaging mother

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Father should be included in Father should be included in all permanency planning and all permanency planning and other team meetingsother team meetings

CW should ensure that father CW should ensure that father receives notice of all meetingsreceives notice of all meetings

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If paternity was not established If paternity was not established at the onset or if father was not at the onset or if father was not located at the onset, once located at the onset, once father is identified and located, father is identified and located, the family service plan should the family service plan should be revised to include him be revised to include him

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CW should fully assess a CW should fully assess a father’s needs and create a father’s needs and create a family service plan with goals family service plan with goals specifically tailored to the specifically tailored to the father’s needs and issuesfather’s needs and issues

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Utilize all six steps of the Utilize all six steps of the Family Finding process for Family Finding process for fathers and extended family fathers and extended family members. These steps are: members. These steps are: Discovery, Engagement, Discovery, Engagement, Planning, Decision Making, Planning, Decision Making, Follow Up, and EvaluationFollow Up, and Evaluation

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The CW shall maintain regular The CW shall maintain regular contact with fathercontact with father

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At every review, the judge or master At every review, the judge or master should ask whether father has been should ask whether father has been included in the case planning, and if included in the case planning, and if not, why father was not includednot, why father was not included

If father is not involved, the judge or If father is not involved, the judge or master should engage mother as to master should engage mother as to the importance of having father the importance of having father involved in the case planninginvolved in the case planning

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At every review, the judge or master At every review, the judge or master should examine the family service should examine the family service plan to ensure that it includes father plan to ensure that it includes father and is specific to the issues at handand is specific to the issues at hand

The judge or master should insist The judge or master should insist that CWs make good faith efforts to that CWs make good faith efforts to engage and support father engage and support father throughout the casethroughout the case

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If possible, the dependency court If possible, the dependency court judges should decide the issue of judges should decide the issue of child support to reduce the child support to reduce the financial impact that may impede financial impact that may impede the father’s willingness to the father’s willingness to participate in case planning or to participate in case planning or to meet the child’s needsmeet the child’s needs

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The court order should reflect that The court order should reflect that father is required to participate in case father is required to participate in case planning and that the agency is planning and that the agency is required to include him in the case required to include him in the case planningplanning

The court should make sure that the The court should make sure that the paternal family has been considered as paternal family has been considered as placement resources, if necessary and placement resources, if necessary and direct the agency to complete direct the agency to complete assessments of the paternal relatives assessments of the paternal relatives

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Parent Attorney ProtocolParent Attorney Protocol

Good legal representation should Good legal representation should result in better engagementresult in better engagement

Parent attorneys should be Parent attorneys should be trained on engaging fathers (goal trained on engaging fathers (goal is to establish a solid attorney-is to establish a solid attorney-client relationship that will client relationship that will promote honest communication) promote honest communication)

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The parent attorney should The parent attorney should encourage the father to encourage the father to participate in the case planning participate in the case planning and should work with the father to and should work with the father to identify family service plan goalsidentify family service plan goals

The attorney should contact The attorney should contact

father to remind him to attend father to remind him to attend planning meetingsplanning meetings

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Engaging Fathers in Engaging Fathers in Delivery of ServicesDelivery of Services

The workgroup recommends The workgroup recommends the following as best practices the following as best practices in regards to engaging fathers in regards to engaging fathers in the in the delivery of servicesdelivery of services. . Fathers should have equal Fathers should have equal access to services!!access to services!!

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The agency should identify The agency should identify services that are currently services that are currently available for fathers and assess available for fathers and assess the “father-friendliness” of those the “father-friendliness” of those servicesservices

The agency should partner with The agency should partner with community providers and community providers and organizations to create and organizations to create and develop father-focused servicesdevelop father-focused services

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Once father has been Once father has been located, the agency located, the agency should immediately should immediately begin to develop an begin to develop an appropriate visitation appropriate visitation plan for fatherplan for father

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CW should assist father in CW should assist father in establishing individual goals establishing individual goals that will facilitate that will facilitate permanence for the child. permanence for the child. The caseworker should be The caseworker should be an “active listener” in an “active listener” in assessing what services assessing what services father needsfather needs

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The agency should make The agency should make a “real assessment” of a a “real assessment” of a father's needs and create father's needs and create a family service plan with a family service plan with goals specifically tailored goals specifically tailored to each father's needs to each father's needs and issuesand issues

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The court should partner The court should partner with community with community providers and providers and organizations to create organizations to create and develop father-and develop father-focused servicesfocused services

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The judge or master should The judge or master should ensure that the FSP plan ensure that the FSP plan has “real goals” and has “real goals” and examine the FSP to ensure examine the FSP to ensure that it includes father and that it includes father and that it is not a boilerplate that it is not a boilerplate FSPFSP

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The attorney has a The attorney has a responsibility to advocate responsibility to advocate for appropriate services for for appropriate services for fathersfathers

The attorney should insist The attorney should insist that the agency provide all that the agency provide all necessary referrals for necessary referrals for servicesservices

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If father has not been If father has not been offered the necessary offered the necessary services, the attorney services, the attorney should request that the should request that the court enter a finding of court enter a finding of “No Reasonable Efforts” “No Reasonable Efforts”

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The attorney should The attorney should meet with father to meet with father to identify case goals and identify case goals and empower father to direct empower father to direct the course of the the course of the representation representation

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Engaging Fathers in the Engaging Fathers in the Court ProcessCourt Process

The workgroup identified the The workgroup identified the following as the best practices following as the best practices

for engaging fathers in the for engaging fathers in the court processcourt process

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CW should send notice to and advise father of all court proceedings

CW should engage father about the importance of attending court proceedings and encourage his attendance and participation

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CW should advise father verbally and in writing of his right to be represented by an attorney and should explain to father the importance of having legal representation

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CW should provide father CW should provide father with information on obtaining with information on obtaining representationrepresentation

CW should provide father CW should provide father with copies of all court with copies of all court orders and addendaorders and addenda

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When a father’s work schedule will not permit him to attend court hearings, or if father resides out of the county or state, the judge or master should allow the father to appear and participate by telephone

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If father is located, but does not attend court hearings, the court should require him to be subpoenaed so that the court can ensure his appearance

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Judges and masters should Treat fathers with respect

and acknowledge his importance to the legal proceedings and to the child

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Take time to explain issues such as the nature of the proceedings, the importance of fathers, permanency issues, ASFA timelines, a father’s legal rights, and the potential role of the paternal family with respect to the child

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Treat fathers with respect and acknowledge his importance to the legal proceedings and to the child

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Give father the opportunity to address the court

Ask father if he is satisfied

with the services that have been provided or if he needs additional services

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Explain to father, at the conclusion of the hearing, what is expected of him with respect to the family service plan and visitation

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The court order should set forth in The court order should set forth in clear and concise language what is clear and concise language what is expected of father and it should expected of father and it should also reflect that father is required also reflect that father is required to participate in case planning and to participate in case planning and that the agency is required to that the agency is required to include him in the case planninginclude him in the case planning

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Attorney ProtocolAttorney Protocol

The attorney should maintain The attorney should maintain contact with father and contact with father and communicate with him prior to communicate with him prior to the hearing to ensure that the hearing to ensure that father received notice and to father received notice and to determine whether father will determine whether father will attend the hearing in person or attend the hearing in person or by other means by other means

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The attorney should explain the The attorney should explain the purpose of each hearing and provide purpose of each hearing and provide father with sufficient information to father with sufficient information to make informed decisions at each make informed decisions at each stage of the proceedingsstage of the proceedings

The attorney should work with father The attorney should work with father to identify case goals and empower to identify case goals and empower father to direct the course of father to direct the course of representation representation

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The attorney should ensure The attorney should ensure that father’s position is that father’s position is communicated to the courtcommunicated to the court

The attorney should provide The attorney should provide father with copies of all court father with copies of all court orders and explain the orders orders and explain the orders to father, if needed to father, if needed

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TrainingTraining

To successfully implement the To successfully implement the best practices outlined in this best practices outlined in this report, it is imperative that report, it is imperative that training occur at every level—training occur at every level—judges and masters, CWs and judges and masters, CWs and solicitors, parents’ attorneys, solicitors, parents’ attorneys, GALs and CASAs. Training GALs and CASAs. Training should include:should include:

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TrainingTraining

Short introduction of why the Short introduction of why the training is viewed as important and training is viewed as important and necessary at this point in timenecessary at this point in time

Active participation from the Active participation from the audience in identifying why fathers audience in identifying why fathers are not actively engaged in case—are not actively engaged in case—why is it that engaging mothers why is it that engaging mothers gets so much more of our time and gets so much more of our time and effort? effort?

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TrainingTraining

Research demonstrating the Research demonstrating the value of locating and engaging value of locating and engaging non-resident fathersnon-resident fathers

Identifying barriers to locating Identifying barriers to locating and engaging non-resident and engaging non-resident fathersfathers

Setting aside of personal biases Setting aside of personal biases in recognition of a child’s need to in recognition of a child’s need to connect with his/her father connect with his/her father

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TrainingTraining

Understanding differences in Understanding differences in culture and genderculture and gender

Adopting Best Practices for Adopting Best Practices for

engagement in real life engagement in real life

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Training Training RecommendationsRecommendations

In 2011, regional training should be held to focus on fatherhood engagement, including establishing paternity, locating fathers, and gender specific communication.

C&Y staff should receive training on locating fathers (we strongly recommend that agencies consider hiring and/or assigning dedicated staff to locate fathers)

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Training Training RecommendationsRecommendations

CWs & judges should receive training on CWs & judges should receive training on how to properly engage mothers and how to properly engage mothers and others with respect to the inclusion of others with respect to the inclusion of father in the process father in the process

Mandatory cross-systems trainings focusing Mandatory cross-systems trainings focusing on aspects of fatherhood engagement on aspects of fatherhood engagement should be held on a regular basisshould be held on a regular basis

Utilization of Utilization of Advocating for Nonresident Advocating for Nonresident Fathers in Child Welfare Court CasesFathers in Child Welfare Court Cases, as a , as a training tool for parent attorneystraining tool for parent attorneys

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Focus GroupFocus Group

Much of the focus of the work of the Much of the focus of the work of the Fatherhood Workgroup has been Fatherhood Workgroup has been placed upon systemic changes placed upon systemic changes within the child welfare system and within the child welfare system and the courts. The workgroup felt that the courts. The workgroup felt that it was very important to reach out to it was very important to reach out to fathers and gain their perspective fathers and gain their perspective on why they may not be engaged.on why they may not be engaged.

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Bill Phifer, from Allegheny County Bill Phifer, from Allegheny County OCYF, met with his local fathers’ OCYF, met with his local fathers’ support group, Dads Assisting Dads support group, Dads Assisting Dads (DADs) and asked a series of (DADs) and asked a series of questions to gain insight into their questions to gain insight into their perspective on their individual perspective on their individual experiences within the child welfare experiences within the child welfare system. It is worthy to include a system. It is worthy to include a summary of their responses in this summary of their responses in this report: report:

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VisitationVisitationDNA testingDNA testingTo be heard in courtTo be heard in courtRepresentationRepresentationServices should be equal Services should be equal

What are dads entitled to?

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KidsKidsMothersMothersThreat of placementThreat of placementBeing responsibleBeing responsibleBeing a role modelBeing a role model

What motivates you?

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Dad’s programDad’s programFamily Service PlansFamily Service PlansHonesty, truthfulnessHonesty, truthfulnessSincerity Sincerity

What works?

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ComplainingComplainingFighting with motherFighting with motherCommunicationCommunicationFighting with childrenFighting with childrenDisrespect of motherDisrespect of mother

What does not work?

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Disrespect of selfDisrespect of selfArguingArguingOppositional behaviors Oppositional behaviors

What does not work?

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More visitationMore visitationMore respectMore respectMore communication with More communication with teachersteachers

Preparation for courtPreparation for courtQuality and quantity of time with Quality and quantity of time with children children

What would you change?

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Fathers should have same/equal Fathers should have same/equal rights as mothersrights as mothers

Father’s voice should have same Father’s voice should have same power as mother’spower as mother’s

No prejudiceNo prejudiceEqual punishment for mothers and Equal punishment for mothers and

fathersfathers

What do you think should be different?

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Child is truantChild is truantChild involved with gangsChild involved with gangsChild goes in the wrong Child goes in the wrong directiondirection

What is the effect on children of absent fathers?

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Child not raised by biological Child not raised by biological familyfamily

Child blames him/her self for Child blames him/her self for father’s absencefather’s absence

What is the effect on children of absent fathers?

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Final RecommendationsFinal Recommendations

Approval and adoption of the protocols for establishing paternity and locating fathers as set forth in this report

Approval of the best practices for engaging fathers as set forth in this report

Training for judges, masters, lawyers, CWs and CASAs as set forth in this report

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In 2011-2012, county or regional In 2011-2012, county or regional training to focus on embracing the training to focus on embracing the concepts of fatherhood engagement and concepts of fatherhood engagement and implementing the best practices. Initial implementing the best practices. Initial sessions should include judges, masters, sessions should include judges, masters, lawyers, CWs and CASAslawyers, CWs and CASAs

More intensive training should be More intensive training should be developed for child welfare CWs and developed for child welfare CWs and should include specific training on should include specific training on locating fathers locating fathers

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Approve the content of the brochure for fathers attached to this report

CPCMS order forms be revised to include a checkbox that would require the court to find that paternity has been established and how paternity was established & a referral shall be made to the Juvenile Procedural Rules Committee

CPCMS should collect data to measure outcomes with respect to father engagement

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The Fatherhood Workgroup should The Fatherhood Workgroup should continue for 2011-2012 to address continue for 2011-2012 to address the following issues:the following issues:•Developing a plan for the printing Developing a plan for the printing and distribution of the father’s and distribution of the father’s brochuresbrochures

•Implementation of the fatherhood Implementation of the fatherhood engagement trainingengagement training

•Developing fathers’ support groups Developing fathers’ support groups in the countiesin the counties

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The State Roundtable consider the The State Roundtable consider the need for a separate workgroup to need for a separate workgroup to address issues of domestic violence address issues of domestic violence and its impact upon children in the and its impact upon children in the child welfare systemchild welfare system

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Kids Need Their Dads!Kids Need Their Dads!Fatherhood Engagement WorkgroupFatherhood Engagement Workgroup

Thank You!!Thank You!!

Documents

1 Kids Need Their Dads Fatherhood Workgroup Report State Children’s Roundtable State Children’s Roundtable May 27, 2011 Harrisburg, PA