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Journal Article Mixed methods were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the Fathers Offering Children Unfailing Support (FOCUS) program. FOCUS is a diversion program which is designed to offer an alternative to incarceration for fathers who are noncompliant with child support payments. Quantitative data were collected through a pretest/posttest design (n = 55) and qualitative data were collected through telephone interviews with FOCUS instructors (n = 2) and community key stakeholders (n = 5) and focus groups with FOCUS participants (n = 76). FOCUS appears to be benefiting children by increasing their…
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Journal Article This issue of The Future of Children assesses past and current two-generation programs. But it goes much further than that. The editors identified six widely acknowledged mechanisms or pathways through which parents, and the home environment they create, are thought to influence children’s development: stress, education, health, income, employment, and assets. Understanding how these mechanisms of development work—and when, where, and how they harm or help—should aid us in designing interventions that boost children’s intellectual and socioemotional development, strengthen families, and help…
While no one can avoid all stressful situations, 2013's Stress in America survey portrays a picture of high stress and ineffective coping mechanisms that appear to be ingrained in our culture, perpetuating unhealthy lifestyles and behaviors for future generations. While the news about American stress levels is not new, what’s troubling is the stress outlook for teens in the United States. In many cases, American teens report experiences with stress that follow a similar pattern to those of adults. (Author abstract modified)
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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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Journal Article Objectives: Postnatal depression affects approximately 15% of women in Western countries. There are conflicting findings about the effects on fathers as well as the extent to which fathers buffer against the negative effects of depression on children. This study sought to understand the ways in which maternal postnatal depression affects men and their ways of fathering. Design: Narrative interviews were conducted with 14 British fathers (mean age = 33.9 years) whose (ex)partners had experienced at least one episode of postnatal depression. Interviews explored how their partner's depression…
This methodological report focuses on the development of qualitative instruments designed to better understand family engagement in Head Start and Early Head Start. The report draws on pilot data collected during the 2012-2013 program year and provides information about the performance of the piloted interview protocols, revisions made to instruments based on their performance, and the best methods for gathering qualitative information about family engagement experiences from families and staff in future studies. The report also includes an instrument package with the revised set of interview…
Intended to advance conversations about racial equity and providing children of color with the opportunities they need to thrive, this report presents data by race and ethnicity on indicators that suggest whether children are succeeding in each stage of life, from birth through young adulthood and are on the path to economic success. The indicators measure racial differences in the following areas: babies born at normal birth weight; children ages 3 to 5 enrolled in nursery school, preschool, or kindergarten; fourth graders who scored at or above proficient in reading; eighth graders who…
The following executive summary outlines current research gaps and future opportunity for study of fathers' ability to support themselves and their families economically. (Author abstract)
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The Fatherhood Research and Practice Network (FRPN) convened a workgroup of experts in the field of fatherhood and father involvement to develop a research agenda that defines the state of the current research in this area, identifies extant gaps in this research, and generates suggestions for future research. The goal is for the workgroup's ideas to inform subsequent funding by the FRPN for evaluation and research projects that seek to enhance our collective understanding of the important role fathers play in the lives of their children and how programs and policies can strengthen this role…
The following executive summary outlines current research gaps and future opportunity for study within the area of co-parenting and healthy relationships. (Author abstract)
