Which Fathers Should Be Engaged in Child Welfare Parenting Services?

Background and Purpose: Fathers have been neglected in child welfare even though most families in contact with child welfare report father involvement and research continues to reaffirm the impact of fathers' parenting on child well being. Data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Wellbeing (NSCAW) are used to explore questions related to identifying which fathers should be targeted for child welfare parenting services. These questions include: 1) To what extent are diverse men (biological, co-residential, etc.) involved in families in contact with the child welfare, 2) How does this diversity impact their inclusion in services 3) What other factors are related to their inclusion in services. and 4) What are the risks that these men confer to families?

Methods: The NSCAW is the first national study of the U.S. child welfare system. The study sample was selected using a two-stage combined stratification and cluster design. NSCAW data include information on about 5,501 children reported to CPS. These data provide information about the child and their families collected from the children's primary caregivers and the child welfare caseworker. Families were identified from PSU lists or files of children ages 0 to 14 years who were investigated for child abuse or neglect between the months October 1999 and December 2000. This secondary data analysis uses data collected at baseline and 9-month follow-up to examine to conduct both descriptive and multivariate logistical analyses.

Results: The results of the study suggest that fathers are not often included in basic child welfare services. The majority of adult males in child welfare involved families are biological fathers, however step-fathers, grandfathers, other relatives and non relatives are also involved. Multivariate analyses suggest that the inclusion of other female relatives in services is associated with a reduction in the likelihood that nonresidential fathers will be engaged. When families are broken down by different forms of male involvement, neglect is the most common form of child maltreatment. Many families evidence male-related risk factors such as domestic violence, yet many families do not. These risk factors do not appear to be associated with whether or not fathers are included in services.

Conclusions and Implications: The diverse landscape of families in contact with the child welfare is reflected in the NSCAW. However, most parenting interventions have been limited to the mother child dyad. Parenting interventions are needed to match these diverse family structures. Also, caseworkers may make trade offs in terms of who can be realistically included in services. When other relatives are included in services nonresident fathers are particularly less likely to be engaged. In addition, fathers whose families are in contact with child welfare may be perceived as dangerous, and research suggests that caseworkers may be unsure of engaging males. NSCAW data confirm elevated rates of domestic violence and criminal involvement, however, not all fathers in child welfare involved families evidence these risks. Just like women, men can also offer strengths and resources highlighting the need for strong assessment practices.