CA ACR198

Encourages state agencies and departments, as well as local agencies and organizations that serve families and children, to adopt Father-Friendly Principles that intentionally incorporate fathers' needs into service delivery models.

Requires adoption of six core principles including including fathers' needs in family services, providing inclusive father-focused services, using positive father imagery in materials, training staff on fatherhood issues, and developing policies expecting father participation.

Encourages use of Father-Friendly Organizational Assessment and Implementation Tools with three components: client and practice implementation, staff capacity-building, and system and policy implementation including creation of Fatherhood Advisory Councils.

Cites research showing that children with involved fathers have higher emotional intelligence and academic success, while noting that 63.7 percent of California children have two parents present and 8.3 percent are raised by single fathers.

References adoption of Father-Friendly Principles by Alameda County in 2015 and the City of Long Beach in 2018 as successful models for statewide implementation.