“Engaging Fathers – Putting Lessons Into Practice” is a three-part series to share strategies implemented from three of the five State or county agencies: Los Angeles County, California; Hartford, Connecticut; and Prowers County, Colorado. Part one focuses on the strategies developed within Hartford, Connecticut.

The following individuals are featured in this episode:

• Angela Parks-Pyles, deputy director, contract services, Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services

• Alan-Michael Graves, Ed.D., senior director of learning and capacity building, Good+ Foundation

Topics discussed include the following:

• What value community organizations provided, via their influence and leadership, in Los Angeles County's improvement team

• How Los Angeles County's actions and thoughts diminished the importance of fathers and paternal families and the steps the agency took to change its processes and mindsets

• Why the improvement team felt they needed the courage to act "intentionally and unapologetically" to implement meaningful change