New families, in particular new fathers, face a world that can be very exciting but also very daunting. Most of the teachers in the early-childhood classrooms are women. Many of the parent education teachers are women. One way to help fathers feel at ease within these classrooms is to identify male teachers or volunteers who can helprecruit and welcome men into the group. This InfoSheet provides a few ways for ensuring the fathers that need help will ask for it. (Author abstract modified)
Teenage childbearing is associated with many adverse consequences for teen mothers, their families, and children. Many of the negative consequences for teen mothers are due to the disadvantaged situations in which many of these girls already lived before having a teen birth. While the disadvantaged backgrounds of most teen mothers account for many of the burdens that these young women shoulder, having a baby during adolescence often restricts economic and educational opportunities, and these disadvantages tend to be passed on to the next generation. Children born to teen mothers are often…
Exemplary early childhood centers engage men in activities as staff members and participants. The programs actively communicate with fathers and encourage their involvement by sponsoring special events and by addressing the interests of men. The inclusion of men helps to reduce risk for child maltreatment by demonstrating the benefits of flexible gender roles, alleviating social isolation, developing networks of care for children, and improving relationships between adults and between parents and children. This brief includes profiles of four early childhood programs that involve men.
Findings from social science research and marriage education are cited in this report to examine the government's role in supporting healthy marriages for the benefit of children. The analysis considers reasons for public policies that address marriage issues and the elements of effective marriage policy. Studies have indicated that law and public policies about marriage reduce the risk of juvenile delinquency, child abuse, parental mental health problems, and economic stress, which can result in significant societal and monetary costs. The authors suggest that public policies seek to…
Other
Father involvement is critical to a child's long-term growth and development. Increased positive father involvement and engagement will create greater opportunities for fathers to make a significant contribution to their children's healthy growth and development. Fathers vary in expectations about their roles and the goals they have set for parenting and child development activities. These varying expectations need to be considered and responded to as efforts are made to support a range of father involvement opportunities. This tool has been developed, pilot-tested and used by several…
The Building Strong Families Project is being funded by the United States Department of Health and Human Services to test the effectiveness of target activities designed to support the marriage of unwed parents. Demonstration programs will receive technical assistance in the establishment and evaluation of services that include training for parents about relationship skills, family support, ongoing case management, and policies to alleviate financial disincentives to marriage. This manual contains guidelines for the development and implementation of Building Strong Families programs and…
The Department of Health and Human Services Peer Technical Assistance Network sponsored a roundtable discussion to share ideas about programs to strengthen families who are separated by parental incarceration. Government officials, service providers, and practitioners from Tennessee, Florida, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma reviewed trends in incarceration and discussed solutions to common challenges. Prisoner re-entry, recidivism, and the impact of incarceration on children and parents specifically were discussed. Attendees noted the need to focus on nurturing stability in dysfunctional…
In response to the congressional mandate to promote two-parent families and marriage specified in the 1996 welfare reform legislation, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services embarked on an initiative to encourage healthy marriage in the broad population and especially within low-income groups. To support further progress in this area, ACF is sponsoring a large-scale, comprehensive demonstration and evaluation of programs designed to strengthen relationships and support the marital aspirations of unmarried couples expecting a…
Other
The purpose of the evaluation was to answer the question: What is the impact of an indirect intervention program revolving around issues of father/male involvement in early childhood programs designed to provide support services for staff members on the proportion of "parent involvement contacts" and activities that include fathers/men? (McBride, Rane, and Bae, 2000, p. 79). This program evaluation design included a comparison pre-kindergarten program with a post-test, surveys, and attitudinal instruments. (Author abstract)
Promoting health and recognizing illness in young children are not intuitive skills and many fathers lack the knowledge, skills, and confidence to safely care for the health and well-being of their children. The National Fatherhood Initiative's (NFI) Doctor Dad workshop was created in 2002 specifically to address this concern.This report is a summary of a formative-evaluation study on the Doctor Dad workshop and curriculum conducted by the Center for Social Work Research at the University of Texas at Austin. The formative evaluation was part of a pilot test to assess the effectiveness and…
