The National Center on Fathers and Families identified seven lessons that should be considered by policymakers and researchers concerned with the role of fathers in family life. This fact sheet provides a brief explanation of issues related to the diversity of ways in which fathers demonstrate care for their families, the value of father presence, the impact of joblessness on father involvement, and barriers created by the punitive nature of public policies. Other lessons focus on support for co-parenting, the developmental implications of fatherhood, and the influence of family culture on…
navy dot icon
Training Materials This manual provides guidance in planning and implementing a parenting skills program for adolescent parents, as a means of preventing child abuse and neglect among this population. The curriculum is entitled Partners in Achieving Life Skills, or P.A.L.S. The guide addresses such topics as conducting a needs assessment, which includes assessing the client population's needs, the available community resources, and the sponsoring agency's capabilities; writing a mission statement and creating goals and objectives; establishing a client base; recruiting, managing, and acknowledging volunteers;…
navy dot icon
Training Materials Support groups for children of substance abusing parents can alleviate risks for alcohol and drug abuse, as well as school and social problems. This packet of materials was developed to help substance abuse therapists establish treatment and education groups for the children of their clients. The developmentally appropriate program teaches children that they are not the cause of their parent's substance abuse and nurtures resilience through problem solving, safety planning, and support services. Materials include inservice guidelines, tools to engage parents and children in the program,…
Designed for policymakers, this fact sheet discusses the characteristics of incarcerated fathers, the impact of a father's incarceration on his ability to pay child support, and strategies that can be implemented to modify child support obligations and to support father-child relationships. Answers to questions concerning incarcerated fathers and relationships with their children are also provided.
Part of a series of fact sheets that discuss how and why the child support program provides innovative services to families across six interrelated areas to assure that parents have the tools and resources they need to support their children and be positively involved in raising them, this fact sheet focuses on ways in which the child support program can help prevent the need for its services by promoting responsible childbearing and parenting choices and by raising awareness--especially among teenagers--of the financial, legal, and emotional responsibilities of parenthood. Examples of how…
Part of a series of fact sheets that discuss how and why the child support program provides innovative services to families across six interrelated areas to assure that parents have the tools and resources they need to support their children and be positively involved in raising them, this fact sheet explains how the child support program can increase child support payments by positively engaging with fathers early on, encouraging fathers to be more involved in their children's lives, and helping them overcome obstacles to supporting their children--reducing the likelihood that they will…
Part of a series of fact sheets that discuss how and why the child support program provides innovative services to families across six interrelated areas to assure that parents have the tools and resources they need to support their children and be positively involved in raising them, this fact sheet focuses on how family-centered strategies must not put women and children at greater risk of violence. Because the child support program serves both parents, often around a crisis point, it has a unique responsibility--and a unique opportunity--to reduce the risk of family violence and help…
Supporting parents to raise healthy children is a central goal for all family service programs, early childhood educational institutions, and social service agencies. An understanding of the protective factors can help to target services toward attributes that are proven to aid families in creating nurturing environments. For fatherhood programs and, indeed, all staff who interact with fathers, an understanding of the protective factors can support healthy father-child involvement. In some ways, the protective factors are a logical place for practitioners to focus their father-involvement…
