National Fatherhood Summit 2026

Engaging Fathers to Prevent Family Separation in Child Welfare Systems

Dr. Stewart Perrilliat Sr., Founder and Executive Director of Man 2 Man – Urban Youth Advocate, Inc., has been selected to present at the 2026 National Fatherhood Summit, where national leaders, policymakers, child welfare professionals, healthcare providers, educators, and community organizations gather to advance effective fatherhood and family-strengthening practices.

This workshop introduces the Maternal Fatherhood Initiative™, an innovative prevention framework designed to engage fathers as essential partners in strengthening families, supporting mothers, and improving outcomes for children.

Drawing from more than two decades of direct practice with community-based and justice-involved fathers, participants will explore practical, evidence-informed strategies that can be implemented across child welfare, healthcare, early childhood, child support, behavioral health, and family-serving systems.

Participants Will Learn How To:

• Locate, engage, and retain fathers throughout service delivery.
• Reduce family conflict while strengthening healthy co-parenting relationships.
• Prevent unnecessary family separation and support safe family reunification.
• Build father-inclusive practices that improve child and family outcomes.
• Align father engagement with child welfare, prevention, and family-centered service goals.
• Develop cross-sector partnerships that strengthen long-term family stability.

What Makes This Workshop Different

Rather than viewing father engagement as a stand-alone program, this presentation demonstrates how fathers can become an integrated part of prevention strategies across multiple public systems. Participants will receive practical tools, implementation strategies, real-world case studies, guided discussions, and immediately applicable resources that can be adapted within their own agencies and organizations.

The workshop also highlights Man 2 Man's Fatherhood Engagement Training Model, currently being implemented with Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) professionals to strengthen father-inclusive, family-centered engagement practices that improve communication, accountability, and long-term outcomes.

Proven Experience. Measurable Impact.

The strategies presented are grounded in measurable results through Man 2 Man – Urban Youth Advocate, Inc., including:

• More than 950 fathers and families served
• Over 1,000 successful program completions
• Zero recidivism among program graduates
• More than 30 years of fatherhood leadership and community engagement

Building Father-Inclusive Systems

Family stability cannot be achieved by supporting mothers alone or fathers alone. Sustainable change requires systems that intentionally engage both parents as partners in the healthy development of children.

The Maternal Fatherhood Initiative™ provides a practical roadmap for government agencies, healthcare organizations, child welfare systems, early childhood providers, community organizations, and policymakers seeking to create stronger families through prevention, collaboration, and father-inclusive practice.

Because when fathers are engaged, mothers are supported. When mothers are supported, children thrive. And when families thrive, communities become stronger.