ABSTRACT
Families who have experienced trauma such as separation due to homelessness, substance abuse disorder, or incarceration have unique needs occurring from their conditions prior to separation, the absence of family members, as well as the transition back to reunification. Although often overlooked, interactions between fathers and children are significant to all aspects of family well-being. This chapter describes a family literacy program that uses a trauma-informed approach to support fathers who are in rehabilitation for substance abuse disorder. Our research demonstrates how responsive literacy practices can support fathers as they build relationships with children. We observed that fathers used the book discussions to discuss ways they hoped to read with their children and reflect on their own background experiences. In addition, the fathers in our study used book discussions to reflect on their experiences with trauma. From this collaborative project and our understanding of families and children in various contexts, we conclude that more work needs to be done to consider the role of trauma in family literacy program development.
