ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with a historical overview of the ways in which policymakers and researchers have approached efforts to support responsible fathering and families. Collaborations among researchers, practitioners, and policymakers can assist in the development of appropriate measures and indicators to help programs monitor change in fathers and outcomes for children and families. The chapter discusses the use of focus groups to examine practitioners' perceptions of the critical issues faced by fathers and their families, as well as the issues that practitioners encounter in working with those fathers. It presents selected findings from focus groups and interviews conducted with practitioners about what might be gained from their collaborating with researchers and policymakers. The chapter concludes with a summary of emerging possibilities in which the domains of research, practice, and policy may be linked and the ways in which they could work together and begin to deepen mutual relationships of support and respect.
