QIC Newsletter

QIC News

QIC-NRF newsletters share the most current information and activities of the QIC-NRF and its fatherhood project sites. Newsletters will feature articles that explain the project, relate to the themes of the model curriculum, provide tips for dads, share lessons learned, focus on timely topics such courts, engagement, and domestic violence, and highlight our various partners' and fathers' success stories.

The QIC-NRF is proud to announce the latest quarterly newsletter! The Winter 2009 edition can be access by clicking here.

The Winter 2009 edition includes these articles:

• Life Lessons: From the Resident Father at American Humane
  Paul Frankel of American Humane discusses his own experience as a non-resident father and challenges that he has faced. He offers tips on parenting and self-care for other non-resident fathers.
  
  
• Welcome
  A greeting and emphasis on collaboration from Karen Jenkins of American Humane, Director of the QIC NRF. The focus of this quarter’s newsletter will be caseworker relationships with non-resident fathers.
  
  
• Site Members, Advisory Board and Partners Convene in the City of Fountains?
  A summary of the QIC NRF joint subgrantee and national advisory board meeting in Kansas City, MO in October 2008. The meeting allowed subgrantees to share their background information and progress, and also provided time for collaboration between sites and the advisory board.
  
  
• Changing your Footprint
  Karen Bird from the site in Tarrant County Texas describes a non-resident father who, with determination and a caseworker willing to give him a chance, overcame obstacles and gained custody of his son.
  
  
• Strategies for Meeting the Needs of and Engaging Fathers in Child Welfare
  
Carol Harper and Jonah Idczak from the site in King County Washington highlight some of the practice reasons for father engagement and strategies to use to engage fathers. A follow-up article next quarter will present specific information about how father engagement is connected to the CFSR outcomes and indicator items.


• Caseworkers and Non-Residential Fathers: Characteristics Essential
  to Working Together
  
Describes the three core characteristics necessary for cooperation between fathers and caseworkers. Empathy, Respect, and Genuineness are described and their importance in father-caseworker relationships is discussed.


• QIC-NRF Observations from a New QIC-NRF Project Staff Member

Randy Clark is a new team member of the site in Marion County, Indiana and is the “first contact” for the fathers in the QIC project. He discusses his observations of the project and surprises thus far, including family case manager involvement, father status, and father commitment.