Child Welfare and Fathers, Part 2

by Child Welfare Information Gateway

(Page 2 of 2)

Interviewing Fathers

During the initial assessment or investigation, caseworkers must gather and analyze a great deal of information from the child victim, family members, and other sources who may be knowledgeable about the alleged maltreatment or the risk to and safety of the children.

While conducting interviews with fathers, the caseworker should be aware of some unique issues relevant to fathers that may prove useful in understanding the father's role in the family. For fathers who live in the home, caseworkers should address the following topics:

What role does the father view himself playing in the family?

How does the father view the maltreatment that occurred? Does he see it as a failure on his part? Does he experience the fact that his child was maltreated as an affront to how he views himself as a man and a father?

Is there anything he personally believes he could have done differently to prevent the maltreatment?

What role models as a father has he himself had? How does the father believe these role models would or should have handled the situation that led to the maltreatment?

If the father was the perpetrator, it will be important to explore his views of discipline and how he came to learn what is appropriate discipline. It will also be important to explore the role of aggression and anger in the father's life to help determine the risk the father may present in the future. Is he, for example, open to learning new ways of discipline?

What is the relationship between the father and the mother of the child(ren), and how does he interact with her?

Are there other men involved with the family, how does the father view these men, and what is the type and quality of their relationship?

For fathers who live outside the child's home, topics to explore include:

What is the current living arrangement of the father vis-à-vis the home in which his child lives?

Is there another man living in the home with the child? How does the child's father view this man and his relationship with his child and the mother of his child?

How often does the father see his child? If and when he does see the child, what is the nature of the interaction?

The CPS caseworker must keep in mind that traditional roles of fathers - provider, protector, and teacher - still have great meaning for men today. Whether or not the father is the perpetrator, a man very often views the maltreatment of his child as a failure on his part - a failure to protect his child, for example. It is equally important to recognize that the entire self-perception of "manliness" and "fatherhood" are deeply intertwined. In every culture, "being a man" is loaded with deep meaning and these meanings vary across cultures. Caseworkers who try to understand the dynamics of the family need to recognize what "manliness" and "fatherhood" mean to the men in that family. Appendix D, Cultural Competence Self-assessment Questionnaire, can also help an agency and its caseworkers address their cultural competency training needs as they relate to the father and families they serve.

Determining Whether to Involve Other Professionals

If, as the assessment progresses, significant questions still exist about the risks and strengths in the family, the caseworker may find it valuable to utilize outside referrals. Given the importance that the father can play in the assessment process, the caseworker may need to turn to an outside professional if unable to gather sufficient information about the father and his role in the dynamics that caused the maltreatment.

For example, for some men and in some cultures, it is extremely difficult to speak to a woman about issues relating to family and to fatherhood. In such a case, the caseworker may find it valuable to have the father meet with a professional who is experienced working with fathers. Such a professional may be found within the same social services agency or at another organization within the community. The challenge here is that, while today, in nearly every community there is a program dedicated to supporting and helping fathers, many of the staff may not be sensitive to and knowledgeable about issues related to child maltreatment. Prior to involving staff from such an organization in the assessment process, it is important to inquire whether they have had experience with fathers who have been involved, either as a perpetrator or a non-offending adult in the family, in a child maltreatment case. If they have not, then ask if there is a psychologist, psychiatrist, or clinical social worker with whom the organization works who is good at working with fathers. Such a professional may bring an understanding of child maltreatment, combined with experience working with fathers, to the CPS assessment process. Also keep in mind that for many fathers, the outside professional may be a religious leader at the religious institution the father attends.

CPS workers, however, may or may not be able to locate such programs easily, depending on the resources in the community, but generally finding a fatherhood program in a local community should not be too difficult. Today, there are numerous such programs, examples of which are presented in Section II of the manual. In addition to colleagues and to local social service experts, two good resources mentioned previously are the National Center for Fathering and the National Fatherhood Initiative.

The local child support enforcement offices also may prove to be a good resource. Obviously, they have a great deal of experience working with fathers. Many low-income fathers may still perceive child support as an enforcement agency rather than a helping tool. Over the past several years, child support offices have strived to become a supportive service to fathers by helping them with challenges ranging from defeating substance abuse, successfully returning to family life after incarceration, and developing job skills. However, since misperceptions about local child support offices remain common among low-income fathers, the caseworker needs to be sensitive to these misperceptions.

About the Author

www.childwelfare.gov
Formerly the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information and the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse, Child Welfare Information Gateway provides access to information and resources to help protect children and strengthen families. A service of the Children's Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.