Fatherhood Summit Session
Substance abuse has a devastating effect on families, and it is especially challenging for low-income and minority fathers. This session addressed how practitioners can help fathers and families affected by the crisis.
The panel provided a backdrop review of the ever-evolving substance abuse prevention and treatment policies and practices in the U.S., as well as current trends and tensions in…
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…
This fact sheet focuses on the implementation of the Head Start program in South Dakota. It begins by explaining the establishment of the South Dakota Head Start State Collaboration, the history of Head Start, and the beliefs and goals of Head Start related to school readiness. Head Start program options are reviewed, as well as an early learning framework and the racial characteristics of children enrolled in Head Start in South Dakota in 2012/2013. It is reported that in 2013-2014 a total of 3,990 families participated in Head Start, 22% of the parents had less than a high school diploma,…
This fact sheet highlights the establishment of the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI), an evidence-based, cost effective approach to treating juvenile offenders. It begins by explaining the development of the juvenile justice system in the United States and then describes the JDAI and its key strategies. Data is shared that indicates when Minnehaha and Pennington counties implemented JDAI there was a decrease in juvenile detention numbers. The disproportionate number of incarcerated youth of color is noted and statistics are reported that indicate minority youths, primarily…
This fact sheet describes the changes and characteristics of households and families in South Dakota from 1980 to 2010. Information indicates South Dakota has a slightly higher percentage of married couple families than the United States (50% vs 48%). The State also has a slightly higher percentage of male headed families with their own children under age 18 (3% vs 2%). The United States has a slightly higher percentage of female and male headed families, and female headed families with own children under age 18 (13% vs 10%). Historical data indicates the number of female- or male-headed…
Culture influences marriage and it is helpful for practitioners to understand this influence in order to offer culturally relevant marriage education services. Although Asian Americans make up a relatively small portion of the U.S. population (4.4 percent, Census, 2002), they are highly represented in interracial marriages. Other common characteristics in Asian American households include high rates of marriage, and a larger portion of households are family households. Although the Asian American population is diverse, representing at least 16 different countries and multiple languages, there…
One way to strengthen Hispanic families and give hope to our society is to promote healthy relationships among couples and make marriage a priority. It is very important to develop a campaign in which the male figure in Hispanic families is motivated to engage in his relationship with his wife and children. Hispanic men need to understand (and be convinced) that they are not just providers, but their involvement is vital to the education and well-being of their children's lives. The following tips were compiled by a program dedicated to serving low-income and migrant working families in…
Understanding the culture and values of your audience is of utmost importance. Culture is defined as a person's belief system, language, behaviors and values. Understanding how a person's culture frames his or her worldview and relationships, while not passing judgment, is cultural sensitivity. Because of the strong relationship between culture and marriage, it is important that marriage and relationship education programs are culturally relevant. This tip sheet offers program operators or marriage educators ways to appropriately adapt their program or curriculum to connect with their…
There are a number of areas that marriage and relationship education program providers must address when designing and implementing a program for Native American communities. There have been a number of lessons learned from Native American cultural experts and program practitioners who have developed culturally relevant marriage education programs. These services can be effective for Native Americans living on reservations and for those who are not.There is great diversity within the Native American community. The various tribes have distinct traditions, customs and languages. This Tip Sheet…
