“There is a soil shortage in delivering services for fathers”: Qualitative inquiry into service challenges and opportunities for fathers with disabled children: The practitioners’ perspectives

Abstract

Drawing on a decade of research highlighting fathers’ essential contributions to child development, this study notes that systemic, cultural, and institutional barriers continue to limit fathers’ involvement, despite evidence of their positive impact. The research sought to capture practitioners’ perspectives on these challenges and opportunities and to identify actionable strategies for improving father engagement and informing policy. A qualitative methodology was adopted, utilizing focus group discussions with 26 practitioners from NGOs and schools serving children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Data collection, combining semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, guided by ecological systems theory and relationship-based models, revealed a multidimensional “soil shortage”— according to practitioners, there is a pervasive lack of foundational support for fathers, who must face barriers ranging from a plethora of unsuited service schedules to entrenched gender roles, maternal gatekeeping, and systemic stigma. The findings showed that while practitioners generally acknowledged the importance of including fathers and possessed high confidence in their abilities to engage, father-specific strategies and organizational support remain insufficient. The practitioners’ recommendations highlight the need for more systematic, inclusive, and stigma-reducing approaches in an effort to better support fathers of children with disabilities and, ultimately, improve outcomes for families.