Left to Right: Chad Sawyer, Jeff Steiner, and Dr. Rufus Lynch
On June 27, 2024, Regional Administrator (RA) Chad Sawyer, Program Specialists Dr. Wanda Miles and Darlene Tart-Scott, along with external partners Dads’ Resource Center (DRC), Rotger Research Foundation, and The Strong Families Commission, conducted a listening session in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The purpose was to help ACF understand the people, assets, and challenges of rural communities and identify ways to increase father involvement. This was the second and final listening session for Fathers and Families Living in Rural Pennsylvania and Surrounding Communities. These sessions provided an opportunity for parents and providers to share their experiences, concerns, and recommendations.
The Harrisburg session included facilitated discussions and appreciation awards. Opening remarks were given by Jeff Scott Steiner, Executive Director of DRC; Regional Administrator (RA) Chad Sawyer of ACF Region 3; Mark Lynch, DRC Co-Founder; and Jamie Flick, PA State Representative. The 1.5-hour facilitated discussions, led by RA Sawyer, aimed to address four key learning questions:
- How does living in Pennsylvania’s rural and surrounding communities affect the human services experience of fathers?
- How does living in Pennsylvania’s rural and surrounding communities affect parenting?
- How does working in Pennsylvania’s rural and surrounding communities affect providers who serve fathers and parents?
- What are the best ways to communicate with and involve fathers living in Pennsylvania’s rural and surrounding communities?
Many issues were discussed during the separate listening sessions with 12 fathers, 7 fatherhood service providers, and 2 mothers. Fathers talked about accessing and using parenting and community resources, co-parenting challenges, obtaining 50/50 custody, and navigating the legal system. Mothers described the lack of resources and support for parents in rural communities and the stigma associated with receiving assistance. Fatherhood service providers discussed the barriers to adequately supporting fathers and ways to address them. ORO Region 3 will report the findings from the two listening sessions in a qualitative summary, which will be published in fall 2024.