First Nations and Métis fathers may be the most neglected – and hard to reach – group of parents in our society. If you work with Indigenous families, then you know there are social forces that create barriers for Indigenous fathers being positively involved with their children. You may also wonder, where do I start to try to address these challenges? How can I effectively reach out and support Indigenous fathers?
This keynote by Dr. Jessica Ball, a leading scholar on father involvement in Canada, and the foremost researcher on Indigenous fathers, will highlight the needs of fathers in Canada and give you practical, doable steps to take right now.
With a focus on the unique circumstances, experiences, needs, and goals of First Nations fathers, attendees will be given insight drawn from a national study of fatherhood that includes:
- description of the social forces in Canada that create barriers to positive father involvement
- the historical and colonial landscape in Canada that creates challenges for Indigenous fathers
- key steps to create better conditions for Indigenous fathers to be positively involved
- guiding principles for outreach and support in Indigenous communities
- resources to support Indigenous fathers’ involvement
- promising practices in communities leading the way