Setting the Scene
When she got into work one morning, Tayelore’ Dixon’s supervisor told her she had a new case. This particular case had been open for over a year and sat on three prior social workers’ desks. Even after a year, there were no leads on finding the father. Nonetheless, Dixon knew where there was a will, there was a way. She worked tirelessly to dig through information and names. Two months later, after extensive research and collaboration, Dixon located the father. The father was unaware of his child’s whereabouts due to the mother’s transient lifestyle and had not seen his daughter in three years. As a result of her persistence, the Judge reintroduced reunification as a primary goal.
Tayelore’ Dixon’s efforts not only reconnected a family but also redefined the trajectory of the case by centering the child’s need for connection with her biological father. The deep care and attention Tayelore’ Dixon gave in this case, and many like it, is why she received the 2025 Family Champion Empathy Award. Her ability to focus on the best interests of the children in her care, even if it means a little sleuthing and extra work, is rooted in the fact that she believes every child deserves to be safe and loved.
Why Fathers Matter
Child welfare systems across the country have unintentionally perpetuated a narrow view of family that often overlooks fathers. The Child Welfare Information Gateway highlights how fathers are historically less likely to be engaged in case planning compared to mothers, despite research showing that when fathers are involved, children better emotional and social outcomes, including few behavioral and psychological challenges. To change this, the Gateway recommends staff training on “effective engagement strategies and father-identification practices” and creating partnerships with fatherhood organizations to better understand fathers’ experiences. Organizations like the National Fatherhood Initiative. The National Fatherhood Initiative provides tools for organizations to incorporate more father inclusive practices. Their programs use a strengths-based, whole-family perspective to help staff feel confident about including fathers in human service practices. In fact, they report that nine in ten organizations that participated in their fatherhood programs significantly includes their capacity to include fathers.
“I have worked in a lot of states. In the state of Illinois, they’re very big on finding fathers. We had a whole training session on finding fathers. That training broadened my perspective,” Dixon explains. Dixon adds that, “Typically dad is always overlooked because everyone’s first instinct is mom.” She adds, “I have always ran with the idea that dads need to be involved. Making sure to include fathers, to go the extra mile to look for fathers, is important. There is a stereotype, especially in the African American community. I want to beat the stereotypes and try to make sure we include them as much as possible.” Dr. James Freeman, Chief Program Officer at A Second Chance Inc. Kinship Care (ASCI), addresses these stereotypes, adding that Black fathers are often characterized as being disengaged and not caring. He warns that these biases prevent genuine inclusion and limit opportunities for children to be placed in the care of a family member.
Dixon shares how sometimes, “You find fathers who are interested and just don’t know what to do. They’re uneducated about their rights and don’t get all the support and resources that moms typically get.” She continues, “When you do find a father and they are ready to go above and beyond to be in their child’s life, it makes the effort worth it.” This is what she saw in the story mentioned earlier. The father was eager to be a part of his daughter’s life and helped her fill the gaps of her identity. Dixon recalls the first virtual visit: “It was so fun to watch because she got to ask him all the questions. She literally had 1,000 for him. Watching him be able to share updates with her and her getting to learn about herself and the other side of her family… it was great.” The reunion also was a moment of identity building. Dixon explains, “She also was a kid who struggled with her identity. Her mom is from a different country, and she presented as Caucasian, but her Dad is African American. Her getting to learn more about that side of her and becoming aware of who she is, it helped her a lot.”
Putting in the extra effort to find the father allowed the daughter to find a piece of herself that she never would’ve been able to if it weren’t for being reunited with her father. Dixon has seen firsthand that including fathers in the child welfare system is essential to elevating a child’s overall well-being and connection.
The Case for Kinship Care
Sometimes being placed with a parent is not an option. In those cases, Dixon still is a strong believer in kinship care if possible. North Carolina DHHS defines kinship care as placement with a relative or someone who is “family adjacent” or part of a chosen family network. The department explains that these placements preserve a child’s sense of connection, belonging, and identity. Chapin Hall research further supports this, showing that children in kinship care experience fewer moves, fewer school changes, and a higher likelihood of reporting that they “always felt loved” by their caregivers. Kinship placements don’t just offer stability, but a chance for children to remain tied to their roots and culture.
For Dixon, these connections make the long days worth it for both her and the families she serves. She recounts, “I just had another kinship where the uncle said, “Tayelore is like my family because she comes out, she sits down and talks with us and ensures we have everything that we need.” For Dixon, kinship care is an opportunity for the child to experience stability and connection for everyone.
Collaboration as a Catalyst
Dixon also believes wholeheartedly that true change and progress requires collaboration. “We actually just had a meeting with my supervisor like a week ago where we said we need to do team staffing where we have the opportunity to talk to other people and say, ‘I have this issue on this case, let’s open up the floor and see if anyone has a different method for me to try.’ That collaborative mindset with your team can be the difference maker.”
Research from Ohio Today, Ohio University’s news platform, reinforces this point: collaboration in social work enhances practice by allowing professionals to exchange perspectives, identify innovative strategies, and approach complex family needs comprehensively. As Dixon noted, “Sometimes if you get a different perspective, they’ll show you different things, find different ways. It can be as simple as switching social workers to get a new set of eyes.” Dixon’s commitment to shared learning and collaborative solutions goes beyond her current team. “I still have contact with my old supervisor from when I first started foster care, and sometimes I will reach out to her and be like, ‘What do you think?’” That openness to feedback reflects an understanding that the best decisions for children come from collective insight.
Leading with Empathy
Incorporating empathy into social work practice has made Dixon the compassionate, trusted professional that she is. Moudatsou et al. emphasize that empathy lies at the core of human-centered care, enabling professionals to connect deeply with the people they serve. Dixon approaches her work with that mindset every day. “For me, I approach empathy as what would I want or how would I want my child to be treated? Because if you look at it as just a job, you don’t care as much. You have to realize this is someone’s life you are dealing with.” That realization alone helps Dixon understand the weight of her decisions. “The decisions I make, the things that I advocate or don’t advocate for is going to affect this child their whole entire life,” she said. “It is not something that I take lightly… I tell all my parents on my caseload that once your kid is on my caseload, this is just as much my child as it is yours now. We are doing it together.” Her vision for social work is one that centers on connection, shared accountability, and always leading with empathy.
Conclusion
Dixon’s empathetic leadership and ability to see past stereotypes has already inspired colleagues to go the extra mile to be intentional about including fathers in the process. Like she said, behind every case is a child and, to prove the best care possible, we must see each case as more than just a box to check on a to-do list. We have to see it as a life hanging in the balance, shaped by how hard we work for their future. Each day, Tayelore’ Dixon is helping redefine what it means to serve families in the child welfare system. By championing father’s inclusion, strengthening kinship care, fostering collaboration, and leading with empathy, she is building bridges across a system that sometimes isolates families. She shows us that when empathy drives collaboration, child welfare becomes not just a system, but a support network that transforms lives.
From the Expert Insights Series: