Training Materials, Report
Several decades of research on the impact that fathers have on the lives of children demonstrate that fathers have a significant influence on their children’s lives—whether by virtue of their presence, or by their absence. We designed this toolkit for professionals working to establish healthy relationships with fathers to improve service and/or program engagement. It includes a full complement of tools to help you use this film in your work. (Author abstract, modified)
Families on limited incomes can struggle to navigate low-wage jobs or education and training programs while also searching for quality early care and education for their children. Some programs provide integrated services to parents and their children in an effort to solve this problem. This practice is sometimes called a two-generation or whole-family approach. This report provides: (1) key findings from a literature review, an environmental scan, and field work to identify and describe existing program models; (2) development of a conceptual framework to inform program design and research;…
The STEP Forward program attempted to address issues facing low-income job seekers by offering them opportunities to interview for jobs with private sector employers at weekly job fairs, and by offering employers temporary wage subsidies to encourage them to try out job seekers whom they might not otherwise hire, with the goal of ultimately hiring these workers into permanent unsubsidized employment. A diverse group of low-income job seekers enrolled in the program, the vast majority of whom were either CalWORKs (California’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program) clients,…
Strong, healthy families give their children the best chance at success in school and in life. The Family Goal-Setting Guide explores how strong partnerships can positively influence the goals families set in the Family Partnership Process. (Author abstract)
The evaluation of the Community-Centered Responsible Fatherhood Ex-Prisoner Reentry Pilot Projects (“Fatherhood Reentry”) documented the implementation of six programs designed to help stabilize fathers and their families, help move fathers toward economic self-sufficiency, and reduce recidivism. This report presents the findings from the evaluation and provides an overview of the activities implemented by the programs, describes their various approaches to implementation, and identifies the implementation challenges they faced and the solutions they used to overcome those challenges. We…
This report describes program design and implementation of two Healthy Marriage programs that are part of the Parents and Children Together evaluation: The Healthy Opportunities for Marriage Enrichment program from The El Paso Center for Children in El Paso, Texas; and the Supporting Healthy Relationships program from University Behavioral Associates in Bronx, New York. The report includes a focus on the job and career advancement services offered by the two grantees, and presents data on enrollment, initial participation, retention, and the amount of services couples received from July 2013…
Much of the success of the Federal child support program is contingent upon the ability or willingness of noncustodial parents (NCPs) to provide financial support for their children. As a result, OCSE has an established track record of supporting demonstration and research projects focused on testing innovative program practices that enable NCPs to assume personal responsibility (financial and emotional) for their children. Highlights of numerous demonstration and research projects funded by this office in recent years. This report contains information on projects related to: Fatherhood and…
This report highlights the promising practices of the federally funded Responsible Fatherhood Demonstration Projects. It begins by explaining that the purpose of the Responsible Fatherhood Program is to work with some of the most at-risk populations, from teenage male dropouts to incarcerated men, who have had little contact with their sons and daughters to help them understand their family roles and responsibilities and acquire the skill sets needed for overcoming barriers that impede them from becoming effective and nurturing parents. It outlines services and supports that are authorized…
In September 2006, the Administration for Children and Families' Office of Family Assistance (OFA) awarded grants to 226 organizations designed to promote healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood. This report summarizes the service models, activities, and preliminary outcomes of a select group of Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood grantees that were identified as part of OFA's "Promising Practices" initiative to document programs that show evidence of positive participant outcomes. The first section of the report provides profiles of the following Healthy Marriage grantees: the…
This framework outlines the roles of various types of research and evaluation in generating information and answering empirical questions related to the human services provided by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). Within the framework, you will find descriptions of each type of research and evaluation, including the purpose, the policy and/or practical significance justifications, the empirical and theoretical justifications, and the expectations for study design and expected outcomes. The framework aims to: 1) Help organize and guide ACF’s decisions about investments in…
