Findings are shared from a longitudinal, qualitative study that examined the links between urban poverty-related conditions and the quality of parent-child relationships in 10 families, specifically the care and protection of infants and toddlers. The effects on parenting of the family cap, subsidized child care, and welfare-to-work requirements are discussed. 22 references.
This introduction discusses the development of the Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters program (HIPPY), a home-based early intervention program that helps parents teach skills important to school readiness and success to their 3 to 5-year-old children. This free service is delivered by HIPPY home visitors who live in targeted high-need communities. It discusses the goals of the book, including its advocacy of an international network that can increase the productivity, quality, and quantity of HIPPY programs, its use as a resource for HIPPY practitioners and for researchers,…
This chapter focuses on the barriers that make it difficult for fathers from minority ethnic backgrounds to engage in family support services. It explains the benefits of father involvement in early child development, reviews legal provisions that tackle institutional racism and demand inclusion, and describes approaches for including fathers from minority ethnic backgrounds.
This chapter identifies developmental factors associated with positive fathering among 179 young, high-risk fathers who made a better than expected adjustment to parenthood. Results found that despite significant individual and social disadvantages, these fathers developed relational capacities associated with positive parenting. These capacities include a growth-oriented perspective on the co-parenting relationship, a commitment to shared responsibility for taking care of the co-parenting relationship, and a willingness to empathize with their co-parenting partners. Case studies illustrate…
This guide is intended to help early years practitioners in the United Kingdom actively engage fathers in their child's well-being. It is meant to raise awareness amongst practitioners of the importance of including fathers in service delivery, the difficultness involved in doing so, and approaches to overcoming these challenges. The first part of the text explores a range of topics that contextualize the issue of father inclusion. Chapters provide an evidence-based rationale for working with fathers, an overview of the development of United Kingdom policy in relation to fathers and…
