Curated Resources: Engaging Fathers

Finding Your Way: Guides for Fathers in Child Protection Cases, National Fatherhood Initiative®
A collection of six FREE guides (available in English and Spanish) for non-resident fathers involved in child protection cases.

Guide to Mentoring Fathers, National Fatherhood Initiative®
This is a practical guide for fathers who want to mentor other fathers.

Father Engagement Guide Birth to Five [PDF], Office of Head Start (OHS), Administration for Children & Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
While written for Head Start programs, this guide provides practical guidance for any program seeking to enhance its effectiveness in engaging fathers.

Fathers for Life, OHS, ACF, HHS
Training materials and tools for working with families who have a father that is incarcerated or on probation or parole.

Engaging Fathers [Video], National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement (NCPFCE), OHS, ACF, HHS
This video is intended to provoke conversation on how and why to engage fathers. There is a viewer's guide and facilitator's guide to accompany the video.

Approaches to Father Engagement and Fathers’ Experience in Home Visiting Programs [PDF], Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, US Department of Health and Human Services
This document focuses specifically on father engagement strategies in home visiting, based on a study of five home visiting programs published in 2015.

Father Engagement in Child Welfare [PDF], NCCWI
Includes a set of organizational indicators to help child welfare agencies monitor if they are creating the capacity for effective father engagement. Many are relevant to other types of child and family programs.

Engaging Noncustodial Fathers in Child Welfare Cases: A Guide for Children’s Attorneys and Lawyer Guardians ad Litem [PDF], American Humane, American Bar Association, National Quality Improvement Center
Focuses on the practical issues of finding and engaging non-custodial fathers when a child enters a child welfare system.

Implementing Parent Education in Fatherhood Programs [PDF], American Humane, American Bar Association, National Quality Improvement Center
The findings of a meta-analysis looking specifically at parenting education in fatherhood programs. Provides research-backed information on best practices.

National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
The Clearinghouse offers resources for fathers, practitioners, programs/Federal grantees, states, and the public at-large who are serving or interested in supporting strong fathers and families. The website includes tips for dads, fatherhood programs, and a library with resources on responsible fatherhood.

Strengthening Families [PDF], Center for the Study of Social Policy
Provides an overview of how father-focused programs can be structured to build Strengthening Families protective factors.

Father Friendly Check-Up (FFCU), National Fatherhood Initiative® [PDF]
Helps organizations to assess how welcoming their program is to fathers. Resources include: video that shows how to use the Father Friendly Check-up (FFCU), FFCU Assessment Tool, and FFCU Strategic Plan Document.