{"id":32080,"date":"2024-01-03T19:41:32","date_gmt":"2024-01-03T19:41:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/caseyfamilyv2.wpengine.com\/father-engagement-strategies\/"},"modified":"2026-08-05T15:02:30","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T15:02:30","slug":"estrategias-de-participacion-de-los-padres","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casey.org\/es\/father-engagement-strategies\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00bfPor qu\u00e9 los organismos de protecci\u00f3n de la infancia deben implicar a todos los padres?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Summary<\/h3>\n

This brief highlights the benefits of inclusive practices to ensure fathers are involved in children\u2019s safety, permanency, and well-being and offers strategies to resolve barriers to engagement.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Fathers play a critical role in children\u2019s physical, emotional, and social development. Father-inclusive practices in child welfare are essential to child safety and well-being, and can minimize the amount of time children are separated from their family.<\/p>\n

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In 2018, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families strongly encouraged <\/span><\/a>all human service agencies \u2014 including child welfare agencies, courts, offices of child support enforcement, offices of public assistance, offices of child care, Head Start programs, and family and youth services programs \u2014 \u201cto work together across governments to jointly create and maintain an environment that prioritizes father engagement as a critical factor in strengthening families and adopt approaches to enhance paternal involvement in all family support and child welfare related programs.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Efforts that support paternal engagement in prevention also align with the Family First Prevention Services Act<\/span><\/a>, which aims to reduce and prevent entry into foster care by providing up-front services to help children remain safely with family members. If removal from the home is necessary, engaging fathers and paternal relatives in case planning increases the likelihood the child can remain with kin.<\/p>\n

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Despite efforts to increase father engagement, many services remain tailored to the needs of mothers as primary caregivers, thereby excluding fathers. Additionally, biased perceptions about fathers, specifically men of color and men with adverse life experiences (such as homelessness, incarceration, substance use disorders), often influence how child protection agencies approach and support fathers\u2019 meaningful involvement in their child\u2019s well-being.<\/p>\n

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This brief highlights the benefits of establishing and maintaining inclusive practices to ensure fathers are involved in children\u2019s safety, permanency, and well-being, and offers strategies to resolve the barriers that sometimes inhibit their engagement.1 <\/sup><\/a>For more information about specific strategies and approaches for strengthening father engagement, see the companion brief What are some strategies for engaging fathers in child welfare?<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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The essential role of fathers<\/h2>\n \n \n \n

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Child welfare systems too often focus on payment of child support as a father\u2019s primary parenting responsibility and connection to his child. Although financial support is important, research shows that outcomes for children improve when they have high-quality relationships and safe and healthy interactions<\/span><\/a> with their fathers. Men who assume a positive and supportive fathering role in a child\u2019s life through quality physical, emotional, and financial interaction can:2<\/sup><\/a>,<\/sup>3<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n