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In August 2015, the HHS Office of Adolescent Health (OAH) awarded the New Hampshire Department of Education a multi-year Pregnancy Assistance Fund (PAF) Program grant to support teen fathers and their families. The E3 Teen Fatherhood Program aims to increase the likelihood that teen fathers will develop skills and knowledge to lead successful lives and to fully engage in the parenting of their child(ren). To this end, the E3 program approach is to improve education, employment, and family engagement for teen fathers and to build a sustainable network of stakeholders and partners to serve the…
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In fiscal year (FY) 2011, the Children's Bureau of the Administration for Children and Families within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) funded a group of demonstration grants to test the effectiveness of Family Group Decision-Making (FGDM) and how to best implement it. These projects used FGDM meetings and other teaming approaches as a means of family engagement and capacity building to strengthen protective factors and reduce risk factors for child maltreatment. Each project conducted its own evaluation and submitted a final report, and all grantees participated in a…
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This article highlights an initiative by the Nashua New Hampshire Division of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) District Office to facilitate visitation between children in out-of-home placements and birth fathers and mothers within 24 hours of removal and to involve the children in deciding those they want to visit them. The benefits of timely initial visitations are discussed, a case study is shared, and implications for permanency planning are explored.
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As evidence mounts that family involvement can support children's learning, there is an increasing call in the field for common data collection instruments to measure home-school communication and other aspects of family involvement. This resource from Harvard Family Research Project compiles instruments developed for rigorous program impact evaluations and tested for reliability. (Author abstract)
Other, Fact Sheet
This toolkit is intended as an online tool for programs, states, and tribes where promising practices, programs, and resources are made available on family engagement, described in current research literature as a series of intentional interventions that work together in an integrated way to promote safety, permanency and well being for children, youth, and families. The toolkit can provide an opportunity to connect with colleagues and share program successes and challenges. For this toolkit, we have chosen a few examples and recognize that they are by no means the only programs using some of…
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Recent research has documented the complex living arrangements of today's children (FP-13-19), but less is known about the living arrangements of parents, particularly fathers. Because mothers are far more likely to have full-time physical custody of their children in non-intact families, many fathers do not live with their children. However, until recently, the research community lacked data that identified the living arrangements for all of men's children. This profile uses the 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), one of the few data sources that collects information directly…
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This webpage describes the Family Networks Project, developed to assess the initial efficacy of Stepping Stones Triple P-Positive Parenting Program with parents of children below age two with developmental disabilities to strengthen families and prevent child maltreatment.
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This set of three slide presentations shares findings on the effectiveness of home visiting programs in engaging fathers. The first presentation discusses findings from a study that reviewed research on programs and services to support fathers, including the use of home visiting programs. It found home-visiting programs for fathers are uncommon but may be increasing, most programs are an expansion of services offered to mothers and children, programs may have difficulty convincing families and staff that the programs are for men, and that there is insufficient research to evaluate the…
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The paper, 'Engaging fathers in child and family services: participation, perceptions and good practice' describes father participation in selected Stronger Families and Communities Strategy (SFCS) 2004-2009 programs and services. The SFCS is an initiative of Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA). As part of the themed study component of the national evaluation of the SFCS, the report explores fathers' engagement with child and family services.
The study found: fathers were involved in a diverse range of services,…
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This issue of a newsletter for child welfare workers in Colorado describes strategies for developing a rapport with families from other cultures, fathers, and teens. The articles review the importance of client-worker collaboration to the success of assessments and services. Professionals who are working with culturally diverse families are advised to learn about values and experiences from a variety of resources, including parents themselves. Cultural differences should be respected and integrated into treatment when appropriate. Techniques for including fathers in casework include…
