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RESEARCH GAPS AND FINDINGS

The benefits and challenges of engaging non-resident fathers involved in the child welfare system are reflected in several federal studies, the Child and Family Services Review data, and day-to-day practice. Many children are not living with their fathers at the time they are removed from their homes and once in foster care, these children may experience less contact with their non-resident fathers. Engaging fathers to participate in the child welfare process, when safety and child well-being are not jeopardized, could be critical to developing or maintaining the parent-child relationship, making placement or permanency decisions, and gaining access to resources for the child.

A copy of the QIC NRF’s literature review and first year report of findings can be downloaded here. In conducting this research, the QIC NRF has focused on 5 key substantive areas relating to non-resident fathers and child welfare.

Identification

Identification means the child welfare agency, its agent, court or counsel ascertain the name of the non-resident father whose child is system-involved.

Location

Location means the child welfare agency, its agent, court, or counsel makes efforts to locate where the father resides and/or works. For example, an agency representative may inquire of the mother or relatives about the father’s location, the agency may conduct a diligent search for the father, or the court may ask the mother to complete a paternity affidavit.

Contact

Contact or notice entails the process by which the agency, its agent, court or counsel makes contact with the non-resident father. For example, it may be by phone, an in-person meeting, letter sent by the agency, or service of process issued by the court. The process of providing notice to the non-resident father does not presume that he has been identified or located. In some circumstances, the non-resident father may be unknown and the court attempts to notify him of proceedings by publication.

Engagement

Engagement involves the process of working with and/or offering services to the non-resident father (e.g. in the form of a fatherhood program/curriculum). Engagement entails more than a single contact by the agency, its agent, court or counsel.

Interagency Collaborations

Interagency collaboration is when the child welfare agency or its agent works in partnership with another public or private agency to identify, locate, contact, or engage non-resident fathers.