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The influence of fathers' interactive and child-care characteristics on infants' social behavior is explored in 5 experimental studies of infant-father interaction. Problems of methodology are discussed and father-caregiving patterns are noted. The relationship to the father was seen to be independent of the extent of his involvement in child care, although some minimal level of interaction seemed necessary. Extensive paternal caregiving was related to the preference for the father in the laboratory and shortened durations of separation protest. The final study demonstrated that manipulation…
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Journal Article Twenty-five years after the founding of Head Start, the nation's most politically successful program for young children has discovered men. The Department of Health and Human Services is using Head Start as the centerpiece of its "male initiative" to increase the involvement of fathers and other males in the lives of young children. This review, which synthesizes relevant literature on child development, parent involvement, and service delivery, offers a set of guidelines that policymakers can use to increase the likelihood that male involvement with preschool education at the national or…
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This PowerPoint presentation provides information on the benefits of healthy marriages and father involvement for children and explains the goals of the federal Healthy Marriage initiative. It cites statistics that indicate 45% of children raised by divorced mothers and 69% raised by never-married mothers live in or near poverty. It discusses culturally competent strategies for providing services to couples, the challenges faced by fatherless children, and the common vision of the Healthy Marriages and Responsible Fatherhood initiatives. Slides then highlight the corporate strategy of the…
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Journal Article A developmental ecological model was used to identify child attributes, father characteristics, and familial factors associated with multidimensional father involvement with preschool children enrolled in Head Start. The relations between father involvement and children's school readiness were also investigated. Eighty-five African American fathers and father figures were surveyed about their involvement in child care, home-based educational and school-based educational activities. Children's school readiness competencies were evaluated via teacher report or direct assessment. Father…
This brief reviews new research in Early Head Start on father involvement. The research finds that fathers are involved, identifies barriers to their involvement, and provides recommendations to surmount those barriers. Findings from a sample of more than 200 participants are cited that indicate 30.4% of nonresident fathers have participated in the Early Head Start program; of those, 9.5% are highly involved with Native Americans having the highest rates of attendance followed by Hispanics. Overall, there was no significant difference in level of involvement by fathers of different races,…
Fathers and Early Childhood Programs is intended to introduce the reader to many of the critical issues that are being studied about fathers in the social sciences. The authors review the available research regarding father involvement in programs for young children and they present the results of 33 in-depth interviews they have collected on this subject. They present the theoretical perspectives they see as relevant to building better partnership between programs and fathers. The authors offer practical suggestions for working with fathers and the community to facilitate increased father…
NRFC Quick Statistics and Research Reviews, Brief
This compilation includes information and research findings on the child development of children who reside with their fathers. Fact sheets are provided that address: the cognitive, social, emotional, motor development, and health of infants and toddlers ages birth through 2; the cognitive, social, emotional development, externalizing behavior problems, health, and physical development of children in early childhood from 2 through 6 years; the academic achievement, performance, socioemotional development, and externalizing behavior problems of children in middle childhood ages 7 through 10…
NRFC Quick Statistics and Research Reviews, Brief
This fact sheet includes information and research findings on the child development of young children who are ages birth through 2 years and reside with their fathers. Research results are shared on father warmth, sensitivity, and closeness; father cognitive stimulation; father engagement; and father restrictiveness, harshness, and controlling behaviors and their impact on cognitive development, social and emotional development, infant health, and motor development of the children. References are provided for the statistics cited.
NRFC Quick Statistics and Research Reviews, Brief
This fact sheet includes information and research findings on the child development of young children who are ages 2 through 6 years and reside with their fathers. Research results are shared on father warmth, sensitivity, and closeness; father supportiveness; father cognitive stimulation; father engagement; father restrictiveness, harshness, and controlling behaviors; financial support; and other forms of involvement and their impact on cognitive development, social and emotional development, externalizing behaviors, and health and physical development of the children. References are…
NRFC Quick Statistics and Research Reviews, Brief
This fact sheet includes information and research findings on the child development of children who are ages 7 through 10 years and reside with their fathers. Research results are shared on father engagement; father supportiveness; father responsibility; and father warmth, sensitivity, and closeness and their impact on academic achievement, socioemotional development, and externalizing behaviors of the children. References are provided for the data cited.
