An Information Theoretic Method for Estimating the Number of Crimes Averted by Incapacitation
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Abstract
Most foster children are not living with their fathers at the time they are removed from their
homes. While in foster care these children may experience even less contact with their nonresident
fathers. This study examined child welfare practices with respect to identifying, locating, and
involving fathers of children in foster care including whether child support resources were used.
Local agency caseworkers were interviewed by phone about nearly 2,000 foster children in four study
states. The study found that nonresident fathers are not often involved in case planning and nearly
half were never contacted by the child welfare agency.
Executive Summary
Over the past decade an interest in fathers and their contributions to family stability and children's
healthy development has heightened the attention paid within the child welfare field to identifying,
locating, and involving fathers. Many of the children served by child welfare agencies have nonresident
fathers. In addition, the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 renewed focus on expediting permanency
for children in out-of-home placement. Engaging fathers of foster children can be important not
only for the potential benefit of a child-father relationship (when such a relationship does not
pose a risk to the child's safety or well-being), but also for making placement decisions and gaining
access to resources for the child. Permanency may be expedited by placing children with their nonresident
fathers or paternal kin, or through early relinquishment or termination of the father’s parental
rights. Through engaging fathers, agencies may learn important medical information and/or that
the child is the recipient of certain benefits, such as health insurance, survivor benefits, or
child support. Apart from the father's potential as a caregiver, such resources might support a
reunification goal or a relative guardianship and therefore enhance permanency options for the
child.
While research is lacking on whether engaging fathers enhances the well-being or case outcomes
of foster children, lack of father involvement means that caseworkers may never know whether a
father can help his child. Few studies have examined nonresident fathers as placement resources
for their children and there is no research about child-father visitation or research on the effects
of involving nonresident fathers in the lives of children being served by child welfare agencies
(Sonenstein, Malm, and Billing 2002).
The Urban Institute, with the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago,
conducted the Study of Fathers' Involvement in Permanency Planning and Child Welfare Casework to
provide the Administration for Children and Families and the Assistant Secretary for Planning and
Evaluation, both components within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, with a description
of the extent to which child welfare agencies identify, locate, and involve nonresident fathers
in case decision making and permanency planning. The study was designed to:
- examine the extent to which child welfare agencies, through policies and practices, involve
nonresident fathers of foster children in casework and permanency planning;
- describe the various methods used by local agencies to identify fathers of children in foster
care, establish paternity, and locate nonresident fathers;
- identify challenges to involvement, including characteristics and circumstances that may be
constraints and worker opinions of nonresident fathers;
- identify practices and initiatives that may increase father involvement; and
- explore how child support agencies' information resources may assist child welfare agencies
to identify and locate nonresident fathers.
The results of this study provide empirical evidence on the steps that child welfare agencies
currently take to identify, locate, and involve nonresident fathers in case planning; the barriers
encountered; and the policies and practices that affect involvement.
(End of excerpt. The complete report is available in PDF format.)
See related ASPE Issue Brief (Health & Human Services web site):
Child Welfare Casework With Nonresident
Fathers of Children in Foster Care
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Disclaimer: The nonpartisan Urban Institute publishes studies, reports, and books on timely topics worthy of public consideration. The views expressed are those of the authors and should not be attributed to the Urban Institute, its trustees, or its funders.
