The Children’s Bureau Learning and Coordination Center (CBLCC) recently hosted a digital dialogue—a video-recorded conversation—about the importance of fathers’ involvement and partnership in child welfare. While fathers play a critical role in the safety, permanency, and well-being of their children, they and other paternal family members have been historically overlooked by the child welfare system.
To address this concern, the CBLCC brought together a small group of fathers serving as family consultants for the Capacity Building Center for States and executive leadership from a community-based social service organization in Connecticut to discuss the value of father inclusion and explore the use of action teams to accomplish the following:
- Promote the well-being of fathers and their families
- Learn about practices and services that support healthy relationships between fathers and their children
- Identify strategies for achieving family-centered goals