Father Engagement: Strengthening Families Across Prevention, Healing, and Belonging

“My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person—he believed in me,” said famed NC State Basketball Coach Jim Valvano. That belief, rooted in presence, encouragement, and connection, is the heart of father engagement. This session will challenge common myths about fathers by centering current data, lived experiences, and the vital roles fathers play in promoting family and child well‑being. Participants will examine how intentionally investing in engaging fathers builds a powerful protective factor for children, families, and communities.

April’s designation as National Child Abuse Prevention Month highlights the importance of prevention, protection, and inclusion for children and families. This session will explore how meaningful father engagement serves as a powerful, yet often overlooked, strategy across these efforts.

Together, we will explore the conditions that support meaningful father engagement and consider what it looks like to truly “be the change in the community” by designing services that actively welcome, value, and partner with fathers. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the systemic and relational barriers that can limit father involvement and learn practical, strengths‑based strategies to elevate fathers as essential caregivers.

Participants will leave with practical, strengths-based strategies to design services that actively engage fathers and contribute to safer, more stable, and thriving communities.

This webinar is not a devaluation of mothers, but a purposeful uplifting of fathers, recognizing that when all caregivers are supported and engaged, families thrive.

Takeaways

• Barriers to father engagement
• Strategies that intentionally engage and support fathers

Who Should Attend

• Human services supervisors and program managers
• Juvenile justice, child welfare, and housing professionals
• Human services leaders, policymakers, and funders
• Front-line staff (caseworkers, family support specialists, outreach workers)
• Parent partners and individuals with lived experience