Developing "Father-Friendly" Services
for Men Raising Children with Special Needs

Service Delivery - Questions for Active Consideration:

• Do you have staff in-service programs about improving the quality of service delivery to fathers/males? Is some of of the training provided by fathers themselves?
  
  
• Do you incorporate what has been learned from fathers into curriculum and in-service programs for staff and professionals?
  
  
• Do you actively recruit and employ male staff members?
  
  
• Do you have fathers on the agency’s/organization’s board and standing committees?
  
  
• Do you involve men/fathers in all aspects of program development, from policy making to implementation?
  
  
• When family/child intake is being completed, do you make an effort to have the father or a key male figure in attendance?
  
  
• At intake, if the father is not in attendance, do you inquire about him or other important male figures in the child’s life?
  
  
• Do you make it clear that the father or other male figures are important and necessary in the delivery of services to the child and family?
  
  
• When a father/male attends a meeting with his wife or significant other, do you direct ideas and questions towards him? Do you let him know his input is valued and needed?
  
  
• When you telephone a family at home to discuss the child, do you talk with the father as well as the mother?
  
  
• If the mother is the custodial parent, do you also mail all materials regarding the child to the father (if approved and legally appropriate)?
  
  
• Do you give him adequate notice regarding upcoming meetings?
  
  
• When scheduling an I.E.P. or I.F.S.P. meeting, do you make every effort to have the father or important male in the life of the child in attendance?
  
  
• When scheduling an I.E.P. or I.F.S.P. meeting, do you give the family adequate lead time (at least two weeks) so all parental figures may arrange their work or personal schedule to attend?
  
  
• Does your agency/organization schedule the I.E.P./I.F.S.P. meetings at hours conducive to father attendance (i.e., lunch, early morning, late afternoon, periodic Saturday mornings)?
  
  
• Do you have fathers routinely involved in agency and organization services and programs (therapy, the classroom?)
  
  
• Does your agency/organization newsletter and printed material reflect the valuable concerns and roles men play in the lives of their children (i.e., a column written by a father, an article aimed at fathers); do your printed materials and hallways have pictures of men actively engaged with their children?
  
  
• Do you have programs aimed specifically at fathers (i.e., father panels, Pops ’n Tots nights, social occasions)?
  
  
• Do you have a father support program available in the agency or the local area? Do you give families information about such programs? Do you ask mothers if you can make a referral of the father to this program?
  
  
• Do you have fathers of children with special needs available on a one-to-one support basis for discussion, information, and sharing?
  
  
• Do you have a quality resource library available (written, audio, video) so a father may gain necessary information about the special needs of the child? Are your materials available in a variety of languages?

For further reading:

Davis, Phillip B. & May, James E., Involving Fathers in Early Intervention and Family Support Programs, Children’s Health Care, 20 (2), Spring, 1991.

Washington State Fathers Network, © 2000 (Do not reprint without permission, 425.747.4004, ext. 4286), jmay@seanet.com