Brief
As summer ends, parents are preparing for the start of a new school year. For parents of children with food or other severe allergies, back to school can be an especially stressful time. Parents, typically, can best control their children’s exposure to allergens as well as recognize the first symptoms of an allergic reaction. At school, children are away from their parents’ watchful eye. What can a worried parent do? Formulate a Back-to-School Action Plan for managing your child’s allergies during the school year.
NRFC Quick Statistics and Research Reviews, Brief
Misusing or abusing substances limits a parent’s ability to be positively involved in their children’s lives and can lead to negative outcomes for both them and their children. Fathers who misuse substances or struggle with substance abuse tend to be less engaged with their children. When they do interact with their children, they tend to display less sensitivity and use less effective discipline. Substance misuse or abuse is also a risk factor for child abuse.
This data snapshot presents information on multiple types of substance use, misuse, and abuse, including:
Tobacco,…
Brief
This brief from the Head Start Health Manager Descriptive Study explores family engagement through these research questions: In what ways do Head Start/Early Head Start programs support family engagement in health-related aspects of program services? What are the barriers to family engagement in health-related aspects of program services from the health manager perspective? To what extent do barriers to family engagement differ by program or health manager characteristics and the populations served? What are the implications regarding family engagement for Head Start/Early Head Start health…
Brief
Taking risks is fairly common in adolescence. Risky behaviors can be associated with serious, long-term, and -- in some cases -- life-threatening consequences. This is especially the case when adolescents engage in more than one harmful behavior. The tendency for risky behaviors to co-occur has been well-studied. Yet prevention efforts traditionally have taken a targeted approach, seeking to prevent a single risky behavior. A more powerful and cost-effective approach may be to employ strategies designed to address factors associated with multiple risky behaviors. This Research Brief brings…
Brief
Physical, mental, and emotional health have a major impact on a family’s ability to thrive. Childhood trauma, for instance, can have lasting health and social consequences. Research demonstrates that parents with health insurance are more likely to seek regular care for themselves and their children. By reimagining health care services to make it easy for children and their parents to seek preventive care at the same time — through health centers or clinics that support families in making appointments together and providing child care while parents are seeking their own health care — states…
This book establishes a safe environment where fathers-to-be, fathers, and father figures can receive support – in the comfort of their own homes or in a group setting – in exploring their fears and past traumatic experiences and how these may impact their role as fathers. Through a series of reflective exercises and messages, the intervention works to help fathers overcome the past and discover their full caring potential, so that they can positively engage with their children and families throughout each phase of parenthood. The intervention, authored by Fathers’ Uplift CEO and Founder…
Brief
This brief is based on data from 444 rural mothers across 13 states who had low incomes and young children. The data is from the USDA Hatch funded Multi-State Project, “Interactions of Individual, Family, Community, and Policy Contexts on the Mental and Physical Health of Diverse Rural Low Income Families”, known as NC1171 Rural Families Speak about Health. (Author abstract)
Brief
Coordinating housing and financial capability servicesseems logical, but they have been historically disconnected,requiring residents to seek support outside of housing.Many nonprofit housing managers, public housingauthorities and housing counseling organizations arebeginning to offer financial capability services to clientsor are expanding on the services they have offered foryears. These organizations provide financial capabilityservices in-house or through partnerships, which canstreamline efforts to address client needs. (Author abstract)
This chapter draws upon 14 years of related ethnographic studies to uncover the principal features that characterize family life among the poor. Experiences dealing with multiple agencies are discussed, as well as experiences dealing with health problems in the context of the U.S. medical care system, and the aftermaths of household emergencies. 34 references.
This chapter reviews how theorists and policymakers portray the state’s capacity to alter the behavior and beliefs of low income parents and then highlights findings from a study of two women’s experiences in their efforts to find jobs and supportive resources. Finding a job and securing welfare supports were linked to their parenting pathway, however, the mothers’ first concern was their children’s well-being. The chapter concludes by exploring whether the motivating power of raising children might lead to a more effective family policy. 34 references. (Author abstract modified)
