Case Study of Father Engagement in Family Nutrition and Health Programs: California WIC Association

This case study focuses on how the nonprofit statewide California WIC Association supports local agencies to involve fathers in programming related to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Key lessons and considerations for human services programs include:

• Professional associations representing human services programs, coalitions, and other umbrella entities can promote father inclusion.
• Small-scale practice changes can foster larger organizational cultural shifts toward greater father inclusion in programs traditionally focused on serving mothers and children.
• Programs can hire male staff to promote father engagement.

This case study is one of several resources produced through ASPE’s Key Programmatic Elements of Father Engagement to Promote Self-Sufficiency (KEEP Fathers Engaged) project.