Experienced home visitors know that engaging fathers around parenting can open the door to important conversations about relationships. But when a father is using coercive or abusive behavior, it can be hard to know how to respond.
The Father Engagement Tool (English and Spanish) was created to help experienced home visitors by providing guiding questions for home visitors, survivors of domestic violence, and fathers to consider before, during, and after conversations.
Father Engagement Tool Training Webinar
In this webinar, three of the authors of Open the Door: Talking with Fathers who Want to Change their Controlling, Coercive, and Abusive Behavior share their insights on how home visitors can use this tool to navigate these challenging moments with care and clarity.
Please note: The presenters speak in English, and English captions are available. The PowerPoint slides are in Spanish. We recommend using the English PowerPoint slides to follow along with the training for English speakers.
Resources for Fathers and Parenting
- Parent Trust is a Washington State nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that every parent has the knowledge and skills they need to raise healthy, thriving children. Their Family Help Line can help find resources, parenting classes, and community resources, and can provide space to talk and problem solve. Call The Family Help Line at 1-800-932-4673
- Perinatal Support Washington provides a list of community resources for dads in Washington State and a warmline for free peer support for parents. Call the warmline at 1-888-404-7763.
- Divine Alternatives for Dads Services (DADS) offers parenting classes, support groups, and resources for fathers to stop the cycle of violence and become agents of change in their communities.
- Child Development: Positive Parenting Tips
- Nonviolent Communication for Parenting and Families
- Futures Without Violence Resource Library provides several resources for fathers and violence prevention for boys.
- The Therapy Fund Foundation provides free mental health services to Black community members.
- How do you want your kids to remember you? A workbook for fathers who have harmed their partners and families and want to change. Available to download in English and Spanish.