The Index is the first of its kind, drawing on OECD data and validated by an international advisory panel. It ranks 21 countries on a set of 10 'family fairness' indicators, including parental leave, the ratio of men's to women's time spent caring for children, the proportion of women in management roles, the percentage of men in the part-time workforce and the amount of time spent by men and women doing unpaid domestic work. (Author abstract)
The focus of the 2009 summit was "Empowering Fathers for Leadership." At no cost to the public, the two-day summit included a variety of concurrent events, resources, and services for participants. Summit attendees had an opportunity to participate in 31 different educational workshops, attend a keynote address delivered by former heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman, attend a panel discussion on strategies for healthy co-parenting, visit numerous resource exhibitors, and receive services and assistance from one or more of the summit's core components. The core summit components…
Over the last 25 years, the number of incarcerated persons has quadrupled. The number of children with a father in prison increased 77% from 1991-2007 and the number with a mother in prison increased 131% in the same time. Incarceration of a parent is very much a family matter. It has long-range economic, emotional and social consequences that affect prisoners and families, and that can affect children's well-being. Children of the incarcerated are one of the most at-risk, yet least visible, populations of children. Data about families affected by incarceration is fraught with major data gaps…
Through this study, the researchers have attempted to view and understand, through men's eyes, the experience of today's working fathers in their roles both as worker and parent. The researchers were interested in the career identity and the paternal identity of new fathers and how the two roles integrate, conflict, and enrich one another. Through conversations with 33 men, they provide a look inside what it means to be a new father and in so doing, give a richer understanding of men's struggles and joy as they embrace their roles as breadwinner and caregiver. (Author abstract modified)
Intended for court appointed special advocate volunteers and guardians ad litem, this guide offers practice tips for identifying and engaging fathers in cases involving child clients. It begins by describing the benefits of father involvement, including improving children's quality of life and providing children with adult connections. Barriers to father engagement are identified and a framework for involving fathers in children's lives is offered. Strategies discussed include: help to identify and locate the father, encourage the agency to find missing parents, assess whether the father…
Family Expectations (FE) is a program in Oklahoma City designed to strengthen the relationships of low-income couples who are expecting a baby or have just had a baby. For all families, this period is typically full of promise but also vulnerability. FE is one of eight sites that are participating in a large national evaluation of Building Strong Families (BSF), a federally funded program for unmarried parents. The underlying rationale for BSF is that relationship skills education and family support services provided to unmarried parents in a romantic relationship will help them learn how to…
We use data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study to examine the association between multipartnered fertility (MPF) -- when parents have children with more than one partner -- and depression. Random-effects models suggest that MPF is associated with a greater likelihood of depression, net of family structure and other covariates. However, these associations disappear in more conservative fixed-effects models that estimate changes in MPF as a function of changes in depression. Results also suggest that social selection may account for the link between MPF and depression, as…
Nonmarital childbearing has increased dramatically in the U.S. since the early 1960s, rising from 6% of all births in 1960 to fully 40% in 2007 (Hamilton, Martin, & Ventura, 2009). Whereas similar trends have occurred in many developed nations, the U.S. stands out in the extent to which such births are associated with socioeconomic disadvantage and relationship instability. This has given rise to a new term "fragile families," which we define as unmarried couples who have a child together. The increase in fragile families reflects changes not only in the initial context of births but also…
This paper argues that supporting responsible fatherhood and related programs and services is not an attack on single mothers but rather helps low-income mothers with economic stability, child care, work-life balance, the identification of mothers and fathers involved in violent situations, reproductive health, more relationships and family choices, and positive childhood outcomes. It calls for increased federal support for fatherhood responsibility programs that help men help their families and alleviate some of the stress and feelings of hopelessness that low-income men of color experience…
This annual report for 2008-2009 describes the activities and outcomes of the Parents Too Soon (PTS) programs, intensive home visiting programs in Illinois that aim to maximize the abilities of teen parents to care for their children and continue their own development. All PTS programs provide long-term home visiting services (3 to 5 years) to teen parents and their young children using one of three nationally recognized research based models: Healthy Families America, Parents As Teachers, and Nurse Family Partnership model. In addition, 12 of the 22 programs receive supplemental funding to…
