Engaging With Fathers

Fathers are often marginalised or ignored in child protection practice. This reflects an uncertainty within society as a whole about the role of fathers in their children's lives. Engaging with Fathers is a guide for social workers and health visitors on how to broaden their practice to include fathers and stepfathers, whether or not their behaviour is abusive or problematic. The authors' approach is based on theoretical analysis and explores attachment theory, feminism, anti-discriminatory practice and nursing ideology as they have influenced social work. From this they provide suggestions on how to assess the potential risks and the potential assets fathers may offer, and positive examples of what can be done in child care and health visiting, drawn from real practice. They set out a theoretical framework that takes account of the reality of the situations practitioners face, draw up a model for intervention, and demonstrate the implications for practice. Engaging with Fathers is written for the busy professional and avoids jargon. Each chapter contains summaries of the main points, examples of research, exercises, key issues to consider and suggestions for further reading. While developing practice with fathers, it remains firmly focused on what is best for children.

Drawing on the expertise of a range of professionals, this practical guide will help Early Years practitioners to actively engage fathers in their child's wellbeing. Engaging Fathers in the Early Years provides practitioners with: - Tried-and-tested strategies for successfully engaging fathers across a range of services - Effective approaches for working with different groups of fathers, including young and separated fathers - Up-to-date evidence on the impact of father involvement on child outcomes - Current policy frameworks and their impact on working with fathers and male carers - Evaluation techniques to monitor the development of work with fathers over time

Comprehensive history of the Children’s Bureau from 1912-2012 in eBook form that shares the legacy of this landmark agency that established the first Federal Government programs, research and social reform initiatives aimed to improve the safety, permanency and well-being of children, youth and families. In addition to bios of agency heads and review of legislation and publications, this important book provides a critical look at the evolution of the Nation and its treatment of children as it covers often inspiring and sometimes heart-wrenching topics such as: child labor; the Orphan Trains, adoption and foster care; infant and maternal mortality and childhood diseases; parenting, infant and child care education; the role of women's clubs and reformers; child welfare standards; Aid to Dependent Children; Depression relief; children of migrants and minorities (African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans), including Indian Boarding Schools and Indian Adoption Program; disabled children care; children in wartime including support of military families and World War II refugee children; Juvenile delinquency; early childhood education Head Start; family planning; child abuse and neglect; natural disaster recovery; and much more. Child welfare and related professionals, legislators, educators, researchers and advocates, university school of social work faculty and staff, libraries, and others interested in social work related to children, youth and families, particularly topics such as preventing child abuse and neglect, foster care, and adoption will be interested in this comprehensive history of the Children's Bureau that has been funded by the U.S. Federal Government since 1912.

Drawing on the expertise of a range of professionals, this practical guide will help Early Years practitioners to actively engage fathers in their child's wellbeing. Engaging Fathers in the Early Years provides practitioners with: - Tried-and-tested strategies for successfully engaging fathers across a range of services - Effective approaches for working with different groups of fathers, including young and separated fathers - Up-to-date evidence on the impact of father involvement on child outcomes - Current policy frameworks and their impact on working with fathers and male carers - Evaluation techniques to monitor the development of work with fathers over time

For too long, we've thought of fathers as little more than sources of authority and economic stability in the lives of their children. Yet cutting-edge studies drawing unexpected links between fathers and children are forcing us to reconsider our assumptions and ask new questions: What changes occur in men when they are "expecting"? Do fathers affect their children's language development? What are the risks and rewards of being an older-than-average father at the time the child is born? What happens to a father's hormone levels at every stage of his child's development, and can a child influence the father's health? Just how much do fathers matter? In Do Fathers Matter? the award-winning journalist and father of five Paul Raeburn overturns the many myths and stereotypes of fatherhood as he examines the latest scientific findings on the parent we've often overlooked. Drawing on research from neuroscientists, animal behaviorists, geneticists, and developmental psychologists, among others, Raeburn takes us through the various stages of fatherhood, revealing the profound physiological connections between children and fathers, from conception through adolescence and into adulthood—and the importance of the relationship between mothers and fathers. In the process, he challenges the legacy of Freud and mainstream views of parental attachment, and also explains how we can become better parents ourselves. Ultimately, Raeburn shows how the role of the father is distinctly different from that of the mother, and that embracing fathers' significance in the lives of young people is something we can all benefit from. An engrossing, eye-opening, and deeply personal book that makes a case for a new perspective on the importance of fathers in our lives no matter what our family structure, Do Fathers Matter? will change the way we view fatherhood today.

Fatherhood is no longer a playground--it's a battleground. The demands placed on fathers have never been greater, yet neither has the importance of a father's role in the life of his child. This creates a dilemma: how can fathers balance career and family while connecting with their children in a meaningful and intentional way? In Daddy Saturday, Justin Batt will show you how. Justin has spent over 13,000 hours on Saturdays over the past 11 years engaging his children with intentionality. In this easy-to-follow guide, Justin walks fathers through the steps to creating their own Daddy Saturdays--from how to achieve peak performance as a dad, to connecting with your child's heart and mind. You'll learn tactical ideas to implement daily with your children, and understand how to create epic memories that will change the trajectory of their lives forever. Being seen as a great father in the eyes of your children and raising fantastic kids who become productive, confident, happy adults is the dream of every father. Daddy Saturday is a national movement every father can join to help them bring that dream to life.

Family service programs haven't been the most inclusive to fathers. Because of this, fathers have the perception that "they are not welcomed" at most family services. However, there has been a drastic increase in father involvement in recent years. Fathers are more engaged, more connected and more involved than ever before. Social services and society as a whole are now understanding how the impact fathers have on their children. Although father engagement is in its early phases, Family services are now working hard to support the whole family and not just part of it. This book gives those working in family services practical steps to engaging fathers in their service. The work may seem easy in theory but not in practice. Some family service professionals can be blinded by bias and not comfortable working with dads, especially those with adverse backgrounds.Author Sharmain Harris gives the reader practical steps and lessons to engage fathers who some consider "high risk". The lessons Sharmain shares were developed after years working at a local WIC (women, infants and children) and taking a fatherhood initiative to national recognition. Sharmain Harris changed the perception of the local WIC site from being seen as only serving "Women, Infants and Children" to an agency that serves the entire family. Working with Dads will give social workers and other professionals the confidence and strategies needed to engage all fathers.

In this exciting book, leading fatherhood scholars from Europe and Scandinavia offer unique insights into how to research fathers and fatherhood in contemporary society. Outlining research methods in detail, including examples of large scale studies, online research, surveys and visual and aural methods, they explore how each approach worked in practice, what the benefits and pitfalls were, and what the wider and future application of the chosen research methods might be. Covering a wide range of subjects from non-resident fathers to father engagement in child protection, this major contribution to the field also critiques and addresses the notion that fathers, especially young fathers, can be ‘hard to reach’. Essential reading for both students and policy makers in a fast-growing area of interest.