Role of Fathers in the Well-Being of Children Involved in the Child Welfare System: Recommendations for Practice and Policy from a Scoping Review

Background and Purpose: Although decades of research demonstrate the benefits of father involvement in child well-being, child welfare systems have historically undervalued and underserved fathers. Fathers have been insufficiently engaged in the child welfare system due to multiple barriers including systemic racism within the child welfare system, difficulty navigating complex systems for custody, and limited opportunities for socioeconomic mobility. Moreover, despite child welfare mandates to focus on safety, permanency, and child well-being, the emphasis on child well-being has been overshadowed by the prioritization of safety and permanency outcomes. It remains uncertain whether father involvement impacts the well-being outcomes of children involved in the child welfare system. This scoping review aims to understand the evidence base regarding father involvement and child well-being within the child welfare system.

Methods: Based on the PRISMA-ScR protocol, a comprehensive literature search was conducted using six databases: PubMed, Excerpta Medica dataBASE, PsychINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane Library, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection. Inclusion criteria were as follows: 1) peer-reviewed articles, 2) published between 1974 and 2023, 3) written in English, 4) focused on children and youth involved in the U.S. child welfare system, 5) examined father’s role/involvement with their children on child well-being outcomes, 6) quantitative studies, and 7) observational in study design.

Results: A total of nine studies were included out of the 8,733 studies screened. Most of the studies focused on fathers’ accessibility (e.g., visits with children), followed by their positive engagement activities, warmth/closeness, and responsibility when assessing father involvement. Overall, most forms of father involvement such as the presence of a father figure, father’s support, non-resident father involvement, and quality of father involvement were associated with positive outcomes including less internalizing/externalizing symptoms, higher cognitive competence, and less substance use problems. In-person visits with incarcerated biological fathers and the quantity of father involvement were shown to exacerbate internalizing/externalizing symptoms in youths. Two studies found no significant effects of the absence of a father figure and frequency of contact with fathers on behavior problems.

Conclusions and implications: Our findings emphasize that various forms of father involvement, particularly qualitative aspects, are positively associated with improved child well-being outcomes in the context of the child welfare system. However, specific conditions such as in-person visits with incarcerated fathers and the mere quantity of involvement may not result in positive effects and can exacerbate behavioral issues. These results imply that while father involvement is generally advantageous, the nature and context of the involvement are crucial. Enhancing father engagement within child welfare practices requires a focus on quality interactions and addressing systemic barriers to involvement, rather than solely increasing the frequency of father-child contact. Further, through a collaborative dialogue involving fathers, child welfare professionals, researchers, and policymakers, there is a need to develop more nuanced and effective strategies for engaging fathers in ways that truly benefit children's well-being. This collaborative effort is crucial for addressing systemic barriers to father involvement and ensuring that child welfare systems support positive father-child relationships.