Brief
This issue brief explains that the economic health and social well-being of the United States are significantly enhanced when parents have the tools they need to help their children start school prepared to learn, develop thesocial skills necessary to pay attention and work in teams, and grow up to be productive adults. It explores the physical development of the infant brain and the impact of stimulus, and the benefits of parent education programs. Findings from studies on the effectiveness of parenting programs are shared, and 10 parenting programs that are strong enough to have a possible…
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Journal Article The first of two publications dedicated to the engagement of non-resident fathers, this issue presents information on fathers' relationships with their children and the system's responsibility to encourage and support those relationships. The first article describes the Quality Improvement Center on Non-Resident Fathers and the Child Welfare System (QIC-NRF), a project that includes a comprehensive needs assessment and literature review and the development of a model program intervention. Qualitative and quantitative data is presented to illustrate barriers to non-resident fathers'…
Brief
When families make the news, it is often for negative reasons such as violence or abuse. Negative perceptions of low-income families tend to be especially strong. However, families are critical to the positive development of children and youth, as well as to problems that may affect that development. Thus, it is important to examine not just the deficits, but also the assets and strengths that families of all income levels bring to raising children.This Research Brief reports on the results of new Child Trends analyses of data from the 2005 Every Child Every Promise Study conducted by America…
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What is Coparenting? The relationship that two individuals, typically the mother and father, have in relation to parenting a child or children is called the coparenting relationship. This relationship is conceptualized separately from the romantic relationship since parents may not be romantically involved yet still cooperate to parent their shared children. This research brief discusses the results of two research questions analyzed with the Fragile Families data. First, among married and cohabiting couples who have just had a shared child: Are father involvement and coparenting associated…
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The research briefing, Fathers and Parenting Interventions: What Works? examines evidence about the engagement of fathers in parent education and training, and makes practical recommendations for how commissioners and service providers can improve local parenting services.We critically assess, and highlight gaps in, the evidence behind the most common parenting courses; pull together the latest research on how best to deliver services that work for mothers, fathers and children; and provide tips and strategies on how parenting services could better recruit and engage with fathers. The…
Brief
Little is known empirically about the implications of parental incarceration for children. This policy brief summarizes research examining the effects of paternal incarceration on several measures of children's school readiness, identifies circumstances that increase or mitigate children's risk, and identifies family processes that mediate incarceration's effects, presenting opportunities for policy and service intervention. (Author abstract modified)
