Register

Engaging Dads

Fatherhood
Date November 19, 2026
Time 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Location Virtual
Reserve your spot today!

Training description

This workshop elevates the well-documented, positive impacts of father involvement on family and child wellbeing and addresses the persistent gap in father engagement across family support services. Participants will explore barriers to father engagement and learn practical strategies to build father-inclusive practices at the individual and organizational levels. This workshop emphasizes shifting attitudes, strength-based approach to father engagement, and creating more equitable, family-centered services that actively include fathers.

Learning Objectives

  1. Describe the positive impacts of father involvement on child health and wellbeing.
  2. Explain why father engagement is a critical component of effective, comprehensive family support services.
  3. Identify common barriers to engaging fathers (systemic, organizational, cultural) and develop practical strategies for overcoming them.
  4. Access organizational practices and identify concrete actions to improve father inclusivity.
  5. Examine how race, gender, and other cultural factors impact father engagement, and identify strategies and practices that promote equitable, father-inclusive services.

Presented By

  • Steven Pascal

    Steven Pascal

    Director of Home Visiting

    Steven Pascal

    As the Director of Home Visiting, Steven leads the Healthy Families Massachusetts Implementation Team (HFMIT) who provide support and technical assistance to the statewide network of Healthy Families Massachusetts (HFM) programs serving first-time young parents. Aside from ensuring the evidence-based HFM programs are implemented with fidelity, he regularly collaborates with local non-profits, state agencies, and universities on private, state, and federally funded initiatives and program enhancements.

    Steven joined the Children’s Trust in 2007 as a HFM Program Specialist having previously worked in the areas of elementary and higher education, specialized foster care, juvenile justice, and workforce development.

    Steven holds a Bachelor of Political Science from Salem State University and a Master of Urban Affairs from Boston University. He is certified by the National Alliance of Children’s Trust & Prevention Funds to provide trainings on the Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework.
  • Chris White

    Chris White

    Fatherhood Initiative Coordinator at the Children’s Trust

    Chris White

    Chris White is the Fatherhood Initiative Coordinator at the Children’s Trust, where he provides technical assistance, support, training, and management oversight of the Children’s Trust fatherhood programs across the state. He is dedicated to supporting families and the programs and professionals that work with fathers and families. In his previous roles as a Head Start preschool teacher and a Healthy Families Massachusetts Program Specialist, Chris has been able to continue his work with families and their shared mission to support healthy and happy early childhood development. Chris is also the proud father of two boys, ages 3 years and 18 months.

Related Trainings

All Upcoming Trainings