This fact sheet explains South Dakota allows childhood immunization exemptions based on religious belief, but is only one of 31 that do not allow philosophical exemptions. Minimum immunization requirements for entering school or an early childhood program in South Dakota are then reviewed, and research on the effectiveness of vaccinations is shared. Charts are included that illustrate South Dakota and the nation had a 93% rate of polio immunization in 2012, South Dakota trails the surrounding States in any vaccination, and that South Dakota and Wyoming are tied for the lowest percentage of…
red dot icon
Journal Article Mixed methods were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the Fathers Offering Children Unfailing Support (FOCUS) program. FOCUS is a diversion program which is designed to offer an alternative to incarceration for fathers who are noncompliant with child support payments. Quantitative data were collected through a pretest/posttest design (n = 55) and qualitative data were collected through telephone interviews with FOCUS instructors (n = 2) and community key stakeholders (n = 5) and focus groups with FOCUS participants (n = 76). FOCUS appears to be benefiting children by increasing their…
red dot icon
Journal Article Preschool children living in low-income families are at increased risk for poor outcomes; early intervention programmes mitigate these risks. While there is considerable evidence of the effectiveness of centre-based programmes in other jurisdictions, there is limited research about Canadian programmes, specifically programmes that include children and parents. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a single-site, two-generation preschool demonstration programme for low-income families in Canada. A single group, pre-test (programme intake) /post-test (programme exit) design with a 7-year-…
red dot icon
Journal Article This issue of The Future of Children assesses past and current two-generation programs. But it goes much further than that. The editors identified six widely acknowledged mechanisms or pathways through which parents, and the home environment they create, are thought to influence children’s development: stress, education, health, income, employment, and assets. Understanding how these mechanisms of development work—and when, where, and how they harm or help—should aid us in designing interventions that boost children’s intellectual and socioemotional development, strengthen families, and help…
While no one can avoid all stressful situations, 2013's Stress in America survey portrays a picture of high stress and ineffective coping mechanisms that appear to be ingrained in our culture, perpetuating unhealthy lifestyles and behaviors for future generations. While the news about American stress levels is not new, what’s troubling is the stress outlook for teens in the United States. In many cases, American teens report experiences with stress that follow a similar pattern to those of adults. (Author abstract modified)
In light of the momentum building to improve the fortunes of young men of color, this review takes a look at what is known about this population and highlights programs that are shown by rigorous research to be making a difference. It first examines the special challenges and struggles of these young men in the labor market, including problems related to their disproportionate involvement in the criminal justice system and their experiences in the educational system. A growing number of young men of color have become disconnected from the positive systems, institutions, and pathways designed…
Other
This template was designed for use by grantees funded through the Colorado Department of Human Service's Promoting Responsible Fatherhood Community Access Grant, which was funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/Administration for Children and Families/Office of Family Assistance from 2006-2011. It was created in partnership between the state's Responsible Fatherhood Program and the Domestic Violence Program. More information about each of the programs is available on the web at http://www.coloradodads.com and…
Other
This template was designed for use by grantees funded through the Colorado Department of Human Service's Promoting Responsible Fatherhood Community Access Grant, which was funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/Administration for Children and Families/Office of Family Assistance from 2006-2011. It was created in partnership between the state's Responsible Fatherhood Program and the Domestic Violence Program. More information about each of the programs is available on the web at http://www.coloradodads.com and…
Brief
This brief suggests ways that findings from research on parent education programs can inform fatherhood programs. It summarizes the research on two promising service delivery components (modeling and opportunities for parents to practice skills with their children), describes the two components, provides suggestions for implementing them in fatherhood programs, highlights examples from a small number of programs and curricula that include these components, and provides suggestions for overcoming implementation challenges. (Author abstract)
The following working paper, authored by FRPN project team members Jay Fagan, Ph.D., and Rebecca Kaufman, M.S.W., reviews and synthesizes attempts that have been made by researchers, policymakers and practitioners to identify outcomes for responsible fathering and to develop measures of those outcomes. The focus of this paper is on two dimensions of fatherhood, fathers’ involvement and engagement with children and fathers’ co-parenting relationships with the child’s mother, and how the outcomes and measures associated with fatherhood programs should be rooted in established theory.
