Children who grow up in single-parent families are more likely to be poor, have trouble in school, and become teen parents themselves. Additionally, children who are born to a mother who is a teenager, who hasn't finished high school, and who isn't married are nine times more likely to be poor than a child whose mother is even a few years older, is married and has at least finished high school. Thus, strengthening families through both teen pregnancy prevention (TPP) and marriage and relationship education (MRE) programs is an effort to decrease out-of-wedlock childbearing and increase the…
Intended to assist organizations who have received federal funding for Responsible Fatherhood programming, this guide provides information on the evaluation of Responsible Fatherhood initiatives. Chapter 1 introduces the concept of program evaluation and presents the reasons for evaluating a project; what information organizations can expect to gain; and how to use evaluation information to inform a project. Chapter 2 includes an overview of the Office of Family Assistance's (OFA's) Responsible Fatherhood initiative; introduction of the Responsible Fatherhood conceptual model; and a…
This resource guide is designed to assist social service programs in developing evidence-based programs. It begins by explaining concepts underpinning evidence-based practice and highlighting the use of practices that have demonstrated efficacy in improving participant outcomes. Evidence-based programming is defined as specific programmatic activities and processes which appear to be related to positive outcomes for program participants. Section 1 of the report focuses on project conceptualization and reviews programming decisions that will have a long term impact on the project. It…
The Building Strong Families evaluation is a multisite, random-assignment evaluation of a relationship skills education program for unmarried parents. From Mathematica Policy Research, this report evaluates the impact of a partnership between the Building Strong Families program and the Child Support Division of the Texas Office of the Attorney General. Researchers evaluate the partnership in terms of child support outcomes, including paternity establishment, child support orders, and child support payments.
For many years, immigrants have come to the United States for economic opportunities, religious and political freedom, and to make better lives for themselves and their families. The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division reported that the United States has the largest number of international migrants of any country in the world. This Fact Sheet describes some of what is known about legal U.S. immigrants, including demographic information, marriage and divorce trends, and unique challenges immigrant couples face in maintaining their relationships. (…
This Fact Sheet highlights statistics on marriage, divorce and non-marital childbearing in Japan, China, and the Republic of Korea (a.k.a., South Korea) -- a collection of countries representing some of the breadth of Asia. There are six major Asian groups and they include Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Filipino, Asian Indian, and Cambodian/Hmong/Laotian. There are over 30 different countries and a variety of languages lending to the diversity of the Asian population. There is very little data on marriage and divorce in Eastern countries, however more data is to come given the…
It may seem a difficult task to engage men in marriage and relationship education (MRE) classes. While women may be more willing to talk freely about their relationships in any setting, men may need a little more coaxing. In couple-based services, there are ways to facilitate an open discussion that will help men reveal their thoughts and even their feelings toward children, relationships and marriage. This Tip Sheet provides a few helpful suggestions to engage men in discussions and activities in MRE classes. (Author abstract modified)
Mandated by the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997, this annual report analyzes the performance of state child welfare agencies on seven child welfare outcomes including the recurrence of child abuse and neglect, permanency planning, placement stability, and the safety of children in foster care. See a list of all Child Welfare Outcomes Reports. Data were obtained from state reports provided to the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting Systems (AFCARS) and the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data… This factsheet explores the relationship between father involvement and child gender. It reviews findings from research studies that indicate the gender of a child has important implications for father involvement, both the quantity and type of father involvement vary by gender, and this involvement may affect sons and daughters differently. Studies suggest that father-son relationships are stronger and involve more closeness than do father-daughter relationships; fathers differentiate between male and female children more so than mothers; fathers are more likely than are mothers to…
This factsheet explores the relationship between social support and father involvement. It reviews findings from research studies that indicate fathers who report having high levels of social support experience better psychological well-being and demonstrate more positive patterns of father involvement and coparenting. Studies suggest spousal/partner support is positively associated with fathers' well-being; high levels of program support are associated with higher reports of fathers' parenting skills; fathers who report high levels of tangible or instrumental support report better well-…
