Table 2.

Qualitative themes including illustrative quotes

Theme / subtheme	Illustrative quote
Benefits of father engagement
Involving fathers in parenting programs provides benefits to the parent-child relationship and allows fathers to learn firsthand	“I see it as key to serve the whole family. If you’re not serving that, you’re missing a big component. So, for me, it’s a plus that I have to engage them. I know that engaging the father is key to that child’s success.”
Limited confidence in the face of barriers to engagement
Culturally defined gender roles (e.g., machismo) that make it difficult to engage fathers in parenting programs	“Because they think the primary role of raising the children is the mother’s”
Men tended to be less open to expressing themselves, opening up, and asking for help, making engagement in parenting programs difficult	“[Working with men] will be three times harder than doing a presentation with a group of women because they are not going to be very open. It is more difficult for men to express things.”
Practical barriers limit the availability that fathers have to participate in parenting programs	“Most of the time nope, they’re working”
Inventive engagement strategies and a desire for additional resources and training
Fathers may be more likely to engage in treatment settings that utilize traditionally masculine activities (e.g., sports)	Sometimes what we do is if the father likes sports, like soccer or baseball, I say, ‘You know, we need to start teaching your son. We’re going to the park and the best person to be there is you’”
Fathers may benefit from hearing from other fathers and other male service providers	“I feel like fathers need fathers”
Additional training materials and resources that are father-specific are needed	“As a parent partner I feel that they need to do more training on dads, like how to incorporate dads.”