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Journal Article This article describes Fit 2-B FATHERS, a social and parenting skills program for males in the corrections system that has been found to improve participants attitudes about themselves, their role as fathers, and their understanding of positive parenting practices. The program is designed to help participants become less of a security risk during the remainder of their sentence and reduce rates of recidivism following their release. Components of the program are discussed, as are results from a study of 227 participating inmates. Results indicate a statistically significant program impact on…
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Journal Article This study examined 80 men to determine if their relationship with their fathers during childhood/adolescence could predict self-esteem in adulthood. Adult men's perceptions of their fathers were measured using the Fatherhood Scale (FS). Using logistic regression, the type of relationship with the father, the subject's education, subject's father's education, parental divorce, and whether they lived with their father during childhood/adolescence correctly classified 75% of the men in the predicted self-esteem group. Results indicate significant differences in self-reported measures of…
Brief
This issue brief discusses State development and implementation of marriage education programs to strengthen families and improve outcomes for children. It describes the objectives of the programs and types of programs, and notes research results that indicate children raised in two-parent homes with low conflict levels have a lower risk of both academic and behavioral issues and exhibit greater stability in their own relationships as adults. Strategies States and localities can use to fund marriage education are explained, and lessons learned from State and local programs are shared. Lessons…
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Journal Article Young fathers (N = 143) ages 16 33 participated in an assessment of risk behaviors, service needs, and mental health issues upon entering a fatherhood program. Almost 70% were unemployed, 39% were school dropouts, 47% used alcohol, 40% had problems with the law, and 42% had been in jail. The most frequently reported mental health issues were problems related to relationships, neighborhood, family, tobacco use, police, and being a parent. Fathers also identified feeling states of anger, sadness/depression, nervousness/tension, helplessness, and aggression. Although risk behaviors and mental…
Brief
This brief is on father-involvement programs that seek to sustain and grow low-income, nonresidential fathers' emotional and financial involvement in their children's lives. Such programs can strengthen families by enabling: Low-income children to receive emotional support from both parents; Poor children to have improved economic circumstances if increased child support raises family income; Noncustodial fathers to overcome child support problems and insufficient employment, both of which are primary barriers to father involvement; and Human service agencies to attend to the whole family,…
Brief
This brief is based on Mathematica's evaluation of the Early Head Start Fatherhood Demonstration. In February 2001, the Administration on Children, Youth and Families and the Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services partnered to fund 21 Early Head Start fatherhood demonstration projects. Grantees were selected through a competitive process and funded for three years to create and implement innovative practices to increase the involvement of fathers in Early Head Start and in the lives of their children. Grantees were expected to establish…
Brief
This document identifies six elements that appear necessary, according to the research, for building capacity for evaluation and accountability. Questions to prompt discussion and reflection among the planning/stakeholder group are followed by suggested strategies to address each element. (Author abstract).
