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

DOIhttp://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12345
Published date01 February 2019
AuthorCharles R. Rogers,Tiana N. Rogers
Date01 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

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