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Fathers in child welfare: caseworkers' perspectives
John M O'Donnell1, Waldo E Johnson, Lisa Easley D'Aunno
1School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
Child Welfare
|June 30, 2005
Summary
Child welfare services see low paternal involvement due to various factors. Professionals disagree on whether to offer gender-sensitive services to fathers, impacting participation and equity.
Area of Science:
- Child Welfare Studies
- Family Social Work
- Sociology of the Family
Background:
- Paternal participation in child welfare services is notably low.
- Understanding the reasons for this limited involvement is crucial for effective service delivery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore perceptions of paternal involvement in child welfare services.
- To identify disagreements among professionals regarding addressing low father engagement.
Main Methods:
- Conducted five focus groups with stakeholders in child welfare.
- Gathered qualitative data on opinions regarding paternal involvement and service approaches.
Main Results:
- Consensus exists on the lack of paternal participation and its underlying reasons.
- Significant disagreement surfaced on whether child welfare professionals should actively address paternal involvement.
- Debate continues on the efficacy and equity of gender-sensitive services for fathers, including male caseworkers and father-only programs.
Conclusions:
- Addressing low paternal involvement in child welfare presents complex challenges.
- Discussions highlight a divide between standardized and tailored service approaches for fathers.
- The potential impact of gender-sensitive services on participation, outcomes, and equity requires further investigation.