Expectant Fathers’ Presence at Prenatal Ultrasounds: An Opportunity for Engagement.

There is substantial and growing evidence to demonstrate the importance of fathers to child development and the impact of fathers’ positive or negative involvement on the health and well-being of mothers and children (Feldman, Bamberger, & Kanat-Maymon, 2013; Lamb, 2010; Lamb & Lewis, 2013), yet fathers remain underserved in parenting programs and many other domains of social work practice (Panter-Brick et al., 2014; Stahlschmidt, Threlfall, Seay, Lewis, & Kohl, 2013). Despite widespread motivation and investment in parenting on the part of fathers, service providers often face difficulties when trying to engage fathers in parenting interventions (Bayley, Wallace, & Choudhry, 2009; Stahlschmidt et al., 2013). Little is known about how best to engage fathers, particularly low-income and nonresidential fathers who face barriers to maintaining involvement with their children. Innovative approaches are needed to engage. (Author abstract)