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Journal Article Coparenting has emerged as a central family process and relationship. However, a coparenting role may be unfamiliar and uncomfortable to many fathers. This study focused on fathers' perceptions of coparental support to better understand factors that may help fathers adjust to a new and challenging parental role. A conceptual model of coparental support was developed and tested on a sample of 2,062 fathers from the national Fragile Families and Child Well-being study to determine what father and mother characteristics were associated with fathers' perceptions of coparental support. Multigroup…
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Journal Article Fatherhood has traditionally been viewed as part of a "package deal" in which a father's relationship with his child is contingent on his relationship with the mother. We evaluate the accuracy of this hypothesis in light of the high rates of multiple-partner fertility among unmarried parents using the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a recent longitudinal survey of nonmarital births in large cities. We examine whether unmarried mothers' and fathers' subsequent relationship and parenting transitions are associated with declines in fathers' contact with their nonresident biological…
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Journal Article Objectives: To: 1) review the historical contexts and current profiles of father involvement in African American families; 2) identify barriers to, and supports of, involvement; 3) evaluatethe effectiveness of father involvement programs; and 4) recommend directions for future research, programs, and public policies. Methods: Review of observational and interventional studies on father involvement. Results: Several historical developments (slavery, declining employment for Black men and increasing workforce participation for Blackwomen, and welfare policies that favored single mothers) led to…
Designed for marriage practitioners, this brief explains the importance of commitment in marriage. Strategies that can be shared with couples to enhance their commitment are listed and include: create a commitment statement, greet each other personally and physically each day, talk and stay connected about hopes, dreams, and stresses, spend both quality and quantity time together, be best friends with your spouse, recognize that memories and traditions expand commitment, share spiritual or religious activities together, value doing small acts of kindness for your spouse, and make intimacy a…
Designed for marriage practitioners, this brief explains the importance of trust in relationships and offers strategies for teaching the value of trust to couples. The keys to trust are explained and include investing time in each other, reliability, understanding, sacrifice, and thankfulness.
Marriage and relationship education (MRE) andresponsible fatherhood (RF) programs share the goalof improving the lives of children by strengtheningthe interpersonal skills of their parents. The origins of these program areas are distinct: MRE beganprimarily as a way to prepare couples for marriagewhereas RF was originally designed to prepareunmarried fathers to reconnect with their childrenand families. However, a common purpose has emerged between the two fields. According to the U.S. Census, more than 2.5 million children areraised in families without their biological father. This statistic…
The nation's Child Support Enforcement (CSE) program is a federal/state/tribal/local partnership to promote family self-sufficiency and child well-being. In most states, approximately half of all child support orders are established and enforced by a federal and state financed child support enforcement entity known as the IV-D program (from Title IV-D of the Social Security Act). About one-third of all children in the United States will receive some assistance from CSE and approximately 58 percent of CSE cases involve never-married parents. Services are available to a parent with custody of a…
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Journal Article A total of 82 separated and divorced fathers were interviewed in a study utilizing thematic analysis to examine fathers’ narratives about their divorce experiences, particularly in regard to their relationship with their children, and grounded theory analysis to uncover themes related to fathers’ perceptions of their children’s needs, and parental and social institutional responsibilities to these needs, during the divorce transition. We found that contextual factors, particularly the legal custody determination process, largely determine both the level of paternal involvement and quality…
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Journal Article A mixed methods approach was used to examine how young adults (n = 1012) perceive fathers as targets for attachment support. Participants ranked the level of attachment support received and sought from fathers, mothers, best friends, and romantic partners, and provided relationship-specific information on additional indices of social support including commitment, intimacy, companionship, advice, and romantic relationship experiences. Findings indicated that approximately 10% of the young adults considered fathers a principal source of attachment support. Compared to the majority of young…
This factsheet explores the relationship between men's pregnancy intentions with the quantity and quality of fathers' later involvement with their children and partners, and for child well-being. Research is cited that indicates men who report that a partner's pregnancy was unintended are likely to exhibit lower levels and poorer quality of involvement with their children following birth. In addition, men's pregnancy intentions are associated with the quality of the father-mother relationship and with children's cognitive and socioemotional well-being. Studies suggest: men whose…
