Moms might know best, but let’s not forget about dads. At least, that’s how the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) feels about it, so they kicked off official efforts to strengthen fatherhood in the state on June 3.
In a recent convening, the child welfare agency and many stakeholders examined how to better engage dads and other male parental figures as a key child welfare solution; all as the statewide fatherhood steering committee gets off the ground.
“Empowering our dads, our bonus dads, our uncles, [and] our coaches to feel like they have a valuable part is so important,” said OCFS Commissioner Dr. DaMia Harris-Madden. “Sometimes I think in society we just defer to mom, but dads have a perspective and bring a unique world view that should not be ignored.”
The convening brought more than 100 child welfare and juvenile justice heads into the room, including Fathers Incorporated CEO Kenneth Braswell, who gave the keynote speech.
Social worker Troy Grant now spearheads this initiative as the state’s inaugural fatherhood engagement policy advisor. He boasts lived experience as a former foster kid and is also a father himself. Grant recalled building up to the convening through conversations with different fatherhood organizations, which resulted in a steering committee. They agreed to hold a convening to hard-launch the taskforce and generally celebrate fatherhood.
“That formally launched our steering committee,” said Grant. “It was an event where OCFS again made that formal and public commitment to fatherhood engagement … it was just a really beautiful time to connect and there [were] people who have been in the fatherhood work for decades who hadn’t seen each other in almost 10 years. A lot of the feedback we got was [that] it was healing to have an agency take this on, and then also bring everyone together.”
Grant reconnected with a past father figure thanks to the event. His former football coach once housed him when he signed out of a group home after his 18th birthday, but they lost touch later in life. After the convening, footage of Grant reached his coach.
“We just had a really great heart-to-heart moment,” said Grant. “He also showed me he still has a picture of me from before I entered foster care, when I was 2 years old, on his fridge. It was good for me and it just shows how this work is really healing … and we really need to support [it because] the data shows that across the board, when dads are involved, father figures are involved, there’s better outcomes for our youth, and my story is a testament to that.”
Improved childhood outcomes from fatherhood involvement are backed by studies, including reduced likelihood of spending time in jail and exhibiting behavioral problems. Contrarily, statistics show kids without present dads face significantly higher rates of poverty and depression, and are more likely to drop out of high school.
Harris-Madden also points to growing childcare investments by Gov. Kathy Hochul as support for fathers playing a role in their children’s lives. Notably, $3 billion goes toward the Child Care Assistance Program (a 40% increase) and another $500 million funds the city’s new 2-Care program for the next two years.
“This is so that dads understand too that there are resources for their children,” said Harris-Madden. “Dads can become involved with the providers of the services, and dads can participate in events centered around the children in the family, as opposed to just deferring to mom.”
As OCFS gets fatherhood engagement off the ground, the agency also rolled out a podcast and a work-in-progress webpage.
