State Guardian ad Litem Board

1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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)

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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.

11. 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

12. 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

13. What Are the Nine Articles? • The Court’s Role in Engaging Fathers: Resources from the QIC NRF • Lisa Pilnik and Jessica Kendall

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. Wrap Up • www.americanhumane.org • www.fatherhoodqic.org • www.coloradodads.com • http://www.americanhumane.org/children/programs/fatherhood-initiative/about.html

23. Resa's Dad, Dave, playing with one of the grandsons

24. Brian's Dad, Jay, cooling his jets