Kids Need Their Dads Pennsylvanias Father Engagement Strategy

Kids Need Their Dads Pennsylvania’s Father Engagement Strategy State Children’s Roundtable Priority June 28, 2011 1

Building the Foundation Assumptions: Ø Statewide issues & solutions (no pilots) Ø Administrative Collaboration (Courts/Agency) Ø Voluntary process (no Supreme Court “directives” – just “gentle pressure applied relentlessly”) Ø Focus on strengths & solutions Ø Relationships, relationships 2

Building the Foundation Pennsylvania’s CIP structure: Ø Local Children’s Roundtables Ø Leadership Roundtables Ø State Roundtable: Workgroup Structure 3

Pennsylvania Children’s Roundtable Structure • State Supreme Court Justice • Secretary of Public Welfare • Deputy Secretary of OCYF • Pennsylvania Legislators • American Bar Association • American Humane Association • Pennsylvania Bar Association • Pennsylvania County Commissioners • Office of Children and Families in the Court • Leadership Roundtable Co-Chairs • Directors of Human Services • Guardians ad Litem • Solicitors • Child Advocates • Special Invited Guests Meets Annualy Lead Dependency Judge and Children &Youth Administrator (co-chairs) advance to the State Roundtable and act as representatives for each LR (additional representation for some LRs). 8 Leadership Roundtables (LR) comprised of like size counties grouped together LR 1 LR 2 LR 3 LR 4 LR 5 LR 6 LR 7 LR 8 Meets Semi-annually • County Commissioners Lead Dependency Judge & Children &Youth Administrator plus one additional designated stakeholder from the Local Children’s Roundtable advance to a Leadership Roundtable • Law Enforcement • Hearing Masters • Medical Professionals • Solicitors • County Agencies • School Districts • Guardians ad Litem • Parent Attorneys • Youth & Families • County Child Welfare Staff • Juvenile Probation Staff Local Children’s Roundtable Meets regularly as determined by lead dependency judge and child welfare administrator • Other Community Stakeholders • Other Service Providers • Office of Children & Families in the Courts Program Analyst

Pennsylvania’s Timeline Ø Honorable Max Baer, Supreme Court Justice 2004 Ø Supreme Court assumes oversight of CIP 2006 Ø OCFC created July 2006 Ø Inaugural meeting of State Roundtable June 2007 Ø CPCMS Outcome tracking data system roll-out 2008 Ø Permanency Practice Initiative (Phase One) begins March 2009 Ø Family Group Decision Making Ø Family Finding Ø Family Development Credentialing Ø Mission & Guiding Principles for Pennsylvania’s Dependency System created May 2009 Ø Father Engagement selected as State Roundtable Priority May 2009 Ø Dependency Bench Book created 2010 Ø PPI Phase Two begins August 2010 Ø PPI Phase Three begins February 2011 6

http: //www. ocfcpacourts. us/about-ocfc/guiding-principles

http: //www. ocfcpacourts. us/judges-and-legal-professionals/benchbook

Building the Foundation for Father Engagement • State Roundtable presentation May 2009 –Karen Jenkins, AHA & Mimi Laver, ABA • Father Engagement Workgroup established 2009 • “Bringing Back the Dads” – distributed at 1 st Children’s Roundtable Summit September 2009 • First Report to State Roundtable & York County Panel presentation May 2010 • Father Engagement Keynote at 2 nd Children’s Roundtable Summit – September 2010 - Distributed Green Book - Father Engagement Plenary Session: Ron Clark, NFI & Jessica Kendall, ABA - County Planning document • Second Report to State Roundtable May 2011 10

Pennsylvania Children’s Summit September 28, 2010 Philadelphia http: //www. ocfcp acourts. us/assets/ files/page 329/file-547. jpg

QIC Tools Used ØBringing Back the Dads: Engaging Non-Resident Fathers in the Child Welfare System ØAdvocating for Nonresident Fathers in Child Welfare Court Cases (Green Book) ØNational Expert Presenters ØABA Center on Children and the Law ØNational Quality Improvement Center ØPolicy Roundtable – Washington DC ØBest Practice Conference – Washington DC 12

QIC Policy Roundtable February 8, 2011 Washington DC

Father Engagement Workgroup Honorable Kim Berkely Clark, Committee Co-chair Honorable Maria Musti Cook, Committee Co-chair Ann Marie Cucinotta, Berks Hearing Master Barbara Ash, Philadelphia HS Legal Dept. Bill Phifer, Allegheny CYS Carrie. Ann Frolio, York CYS Honorable George Hartwick, III, Dauphin Commissioner Dan Worley, York Parent Advocate Gene Detter, CWTP Karen Jenkins, American Humane Association Lisa Chambers, Allegheny CYS Tonya Burgess, CWTP Parent Ambassador Tina Zanis, Provider Steve Suknaic, Dauphin JPO Honorable Flora Barth Wolf, Philadelphia

Workgroup Activities • Researched state and national best practices (2008 -2010 QIC) • Conducted Pennsylvania professionals (2009) survey of courts and child welfare • Conducted focus group of non-resident fathers (2009) • Created Key Areas for Fathers in Child Welfare (2009) • Created protocols for agency, attorneys, & court (2010) • Created Father Brochure (2011) • Creating regional training (2011) 15

http: //www. ocfcpacourts. us/about-ocfc/father-involvement

To What End: Change Perceptions, Change Behavior, Change Outcomes Develop Protocol for: § Establishing Paternity § Locating Fathers § Engaging Fathers: § Case planning § Services § Court Supporting Culture Change § Agency (Father-friendly checklist) § Court § Community/Services Developing Education – judges, attorneys, child welfare, cross-system 17

To What End: Change Perceptions, Change Behavior, Change Outcomes ØIncorporated as overarching theme in Judicial Bench Book ØIncorporating Father Engagement in all Workgroup discussions & planning: Legal Representation, Visitation, Bench Book ØCollecting data to conduct evaluation of efforts & impact (CPCMS Module & focus groups) ØIncluded in Pennsylvania’s Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) 18

Establishing Paternity One Father per Child!!!!! 19

Engagement Requires a Cultural Change We must recognize and acknowledge the value of fathers in the lives of their children ü Leadership from the top is needed to accomplish this but change at all levels needs to occur 20

Engaging Fathers Engagement with a noncustodial father is an ongoing, strength-based, solution focused process ü It takes more than sending him a letter! 21

2011/2012 Activities Ø Developing a plan for the dissemination of the father’s brochure Ø Developing Fatherhood component for all judicial, legal and child welfare education sessions Ø Developing father support groups in counties 22

2012 Workgroup Activities • Send request to Juvenile Court Procedural Rules Committee – revised CPCMS order forms to: – include a checkbox that would require the court to find that paternity has been established and how paternity was established – collect data to measure outcomes with respect to father engagement 23

Protocols & Best Practice Ø Child Welfare Agency Ø Parent Attorney Ø Court http: //www. ocfcpacourts. us/aboutocfc/father-involvement 24

Kids Need Their Dads! Pennsylvania’s Father Engagement Work Thank You!! 25