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Journal Article Taking a preventive father-inclusive approach, the Supporting Father Involvement (SFI) intervention aims to strengthen coparenting, parent–child relationships, and child outcomes. This study replicates four prior iterations of the program using the same 32-hour curriculum facilitated by clinically trained staff, case managers, and onsite child care and family meals. With its intentional outreach and inclusion of fathers, SFI offers an effective intervention for lower risk child welfare–involved families. Results argue for the utility of treating community and child welfare parents in mixed…
This report identifies and discusses evidence about the relationship between poverty and child abuse and neglect. It explores the economic costs of child abuse and neglect and outlines broad policy implications, with a particular focus on the United Kingdom. Specifically, the report outlines evidence from the United Kingdom and other countries about the association between family poverty and child abuse and neglect; evidence from the United Kingdom and other countries about the impact of childhood abuse or neglect on poverty in adulthood; evidence about the costs of child abuse and neglect;…
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Journal Article Teen dating violence (TDV) is a preventable public health problem that has negative consequences for youth. Despite evidence that youth in urban communities with high crime and economic disadvantage may be at particularly high risk for TDV, little work has specifically addressed TDV in these communities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed a comprehensive approach to prevent TDV--Dating Matters: Strategies to Promote Healthy Teen Relationships--that addresses gaps in research and practice. This report from CDC describes the programmatic activities,…
This report uses the 2011-2012 National Survey of Children’s Health to examine both the prevalence of parental incarceration and child outcomes associated with it. Based on the analyses, more than five million children, representing 7% of all U.S. children, have had a parent who lived with them go to jail or prison. The proportion was found to be higher among black, poor, and rural children. After accounting for effects associated with demographic variables such as race and income, the study found parental incarceration was associated with: a higher number of other major, potentially…
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Many children experience adversity in the form of poverty, abuse or neglect, homelessness, or other conditions that make them vulnerable to the damaging effects of chronic stress. New research reveals that chronic stress alters their rapidly developing biological systems in ways that undermine their ability to succeed in school and in life. The good news is that we have strong evidence for programs and approaches that policy makers could use to help these children overcome the effects of stress. Home visitation and early childhood health care can give parents much-needed support and…
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Journal Article Children’s early social experiences shape their developing neurological and biological systems for good or for ill, writes Ross Thompson, and the kinds of stressful experiences that are endemic to families living in poverty can alter children’s neurobiology in ways that undermine their health, their social competence, and their ability to succeed in school and in life. For example, when children are born into a world where resources are scarce and violence is a constant possibility, neurobiological changes may make them wary and vigilant, and they are likely to have a hard time controlling…
Until communities offer multiple pathways to connect with ladders of opportunity, many young families headed by out-of-school and out-of-work (OSOW) youth will be unable to achieve financial independence. To break the cycle of poverty, many human service organizations use two-generation approaches with "young families" (that is, families with children in which the parent is an OSOW young person ages 15-24 years). One hallmark of these two-generation approaches is the use of strategies that address the developmental needs of the young parents, their children, and the families as a whole. The…
Part of the KIDS COUNT/Population Reference Bureau series of Reports on Census 2000, this report presents information for a broad range of income brackets in order to compare the relative risks for children living in different types of families. (Author abstract)
The Parents' Fair Share demonstration program was implemented in seven sites to test an approach for helping noncustodial fathers meet their child support responsibilities. Employment and training services, support groups, mediation services, and modified child support enforcement activities were intended to improve job stability and child support payments, as well as father-child relationships. The evaluation of the project compared outcomes for fathers who participated in the Parents' Fair Share program with fathers who were randomly assigned to a control group from 1994 to 1996. Overall…
This report includes perspectives from domestic violence advocates, batterer program representatives, and fatherhood program representatives on the scope and challenges of fatherhood programs. Participants attended two meetings held in May 2001 and July 2002, to discuss the variety of issues confronting fatherhood programs. One of the key concerns discussed was the inclusion of domestic violence information in such programs. The report shares participants' views on the prevalence of domestic violence and the characteristics of fathers attending fatherhood programs, barriers to…
