Social Services Professionals' Views of Barriers to Supporting Homeless Noncustodial Fathers

• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12345
• Published date: 01 February 2019
• Author: Charles R. Rogers,Tiana N. Rogers
• Date: 01 February 2019

T N. R Human Services & Public Health, Hennepin County, MN

C R. R University of Minnesota Medical School

Social Services Professionals’ Views of Barriers to

Supporting Homeless Noncustodial Fathers

Objective: To investigate barriers to service

for homeless noncustodial fathers from the per-

spective of social service professionals who

work directly to assist men with securing hous-

ing while meeting the demands of fatherhood.

Background: The population of homeless

fathers in the United States is increasing. Lon-

gitudinal studies show that although homeless

noncustodial fathers and mothers face similar

risk factors and barriers to services, research

on minimizing risk factors and barriers for non-

custodial fathers is limited compared with that

for noncustodial mothers.

Method: The sample included 7 administrators

and 12 direct service professionals engaged

with fathers transitioning from homelessness.

Data were collected via face-to-face, semistruc-

tured interviews and analyzed using a qualita-

tive inductive approach. Multiple-cycle coding

was used to capture emerging themes.

Results: Three major themes, encompassing

emotional, relational, and systemic factors,

emerged regarding participants’ experiences

serving homeless noncustodial fathers.

Conclusion: Effective approaches to support-

ing fathers require empathy, relationship build-

ing, and collaboration between service providers

and policymakers.

Human Services & Public Health, 300 South Sixth

Street, MC 700, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1212

(tiana.rogers@sorensonimpact.com).

Key Words: fathers, homelessness, men, public policy, qual-

itative research, social services.

Implications: Future policies and interventions

should be based on input from direct service

professionals and homeless noncustodial fathers

themselves, with the aim of best supporting their

efforts toward securing housing while meeting

the demands of fatherhood.

Homelessness is persistent and widespread in

the United States. Foreclosures, lack of afford-

able housing, and limited housing assistance are

primary contributing factors (National Coalition

for the Homeless [NCH], 2014). Among the

homeless, 68% are single adult males (NCH,

2014), a large percentage of whom are thought

to have minor children (NCH, 2014). Despite a

slight increase in father-specic services, such as

education and employment programming, bar-

riers associated with accessing support services

continue to be seen as an impediment to home-

less fathers’ ability to resolve their homeless

status (Barrett-Rivera, Lindstrom, & Kerewsky,

2013; Castillo & Sarver, 2012; Ferguson & Mor-

ley, 2011; NCH, 2009a, 2009b; Paquette & Bas-

suk, 2011). Barker (2012) noted that barriers

to services for fathers include inability to bring

their children into shelters with them and a

lack of readily available childcare that would

enable them to focus on participation in services.

Other researchers have noted barriers such as

fathers’ distrust of systems, negative perceptions

of homeless men, and service providers’ unre-

alistic expectations of homeless fathers (Amato

& MacDonald, 2011; Barrett-Rivera et al., 2013;

Family Relations 68 (February 2019): 39–50 39

DOI:10.1111/fare.12345