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Journal Article The article discusses the answers on questions posed regarding public policy toward fathers with low income in the child support program. It states that the federal government must aim for additional funding to programs designed for the employment of low-income fathers in the child support programs that would increase employment and decrease poverty among low-earning fathers and their children. It notes that making programs mandatory and voluntary will be beneficial to low-earning fathers in the child support program. It mentions that said programs may include services like case management,…
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Journal Article This article reconsiders the development of fathers' rights politics within the legal arena in recent years, seeking to trace a way through the often highly polarised debates in this area. The paper argues that studies of fatherhood and law reform have much to gain from incorporating a more complex and multi-layered account of the interconnected nature of the personal lives of women, children and men. In the context of significant shifts in the messages law sends about the 'good father', as well as within parenting cultures, the paper tracks changes within fathers' rights activism to shifting…
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Journal Article In this analysis, we explore how low-income African American fathers build understandings of successful manhood in the context of community-based responsible fatherhood programs. Drawing on life history interviews with 75 men in Illinois and Indiana, we explore men's attempts to fulfill normative expectations of fatherhood while living in communities with limited resources. We examine the efforts of community-based fatherhood programs to shape alternative African American masculinities through facilitation of personal turning points and "breaks with the past," use of social support and…
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Journal Article A comprehensive five-year review of five social work journals and one family-focused interdisciplinary journal was conducted to examine the prevalence of recent research on fathers. Despite an increase in father-focused research over the past two decades, there continues to be a significant lack of research examining fathers relative to mothers, as well as research that includes fathers as participants. Ethical issues regarding the inclusion of fathers in social work research and practice are discussed. (Author abstract)
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Journal Article Findings from in-depth interviews with 24 non-resident fathers are shared and indicate being a non-resident father was emotionally and financially devastating. Fathers experienced feelings of extortion, loss of control, and helplessness, and had little knowledge of how the judicial and child support enforcement systems work. Recommendations for child welfare workers are discussed. 8 references.
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Journal Article We investigated children and families who were participating in a mentoring program targeting children with incarcerated parents. Using multiple methods and informants, we explored the development of the mentoring relationship, challenges and benefits of mentoring children with incarcerated parents, and match termination in 57 mentor-child dyads. More than one-third of matches terminated during the first 6 months of participation. For those matches that continued to meet, however, children who saw their mentors more frequently exhibited fewer internalizing and externalizing symptoms. In…
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Journal Article This article explains about 9% of American men become fathers before their twentieth birthday, challenges home visiting programs face in reaching out to fathers in high-needs communities, and tips that home vising programs can use to help engage fathers in home visiting and in parenthood. Tips include defining fatherhood, providing relationship education, and working with fathers’ schedules and commitments.
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Journal Article Caregivers who provide services to trauma survivors are at high risk of developing secondary traumatic stress and burnout. Researchers and practitioners in the field of traumatology emphasize the role organizational culture has on individuals who provide services to trauma survivor’s well-being. Although there is a considerable amount of theoretical literature on organizational culture and its effects on trauma workers’ well-being, there is a lack of empirical research. The purpose of this exploratory study was to identify what organizational characteristics influence trauma caregivers’…
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Journal Article Child support is a critical source of income, especially for the growing proportion of children born to unmarried mothers. Current social policy supports custodial parent employment (e.g., the Earned Income Tax Credit [EITC] and other work supports have largely taken the place of an entitlement to cash assistance for single mothers of young children). Given many single mothers' limited earnings potential, child support from noncustodial fathers is also important. This raises questions about the effects of child support on custodial mothers' labor supply, and whether policies that increase…
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Journal Article Mobile technology presents an exciting opportunity for social workers to reach populations that are typically underserved by interventions and services. We present one application of technology that is particularly relevant to social work practice. The mDad (Mobile Device Assisted Dad) app was developed to augment existing social work practices by providing a father-friendly tool to help new fathers learn about and engage with their infants and toddlers. We discuss the process of developing the app content and conducting usability testing of the mDad app. We conclude with a discussion of the…
