This report focuses on the role and importance of fathers in the lives of their children. Emphasis is placed on ways that the family support movement can support fathers and strengthen families. The guide examines traditional family service assumptions about the involvement of mothers and fathers and describes programs that reach out to men. Articles identify barriers to fathers' involvement in family support programs and highlight the elements of community-based father-friendly programs. A special message from Vice President Al Gore is included.
This report describes a project undertaken in 1995 by the National Center for Children in Poverty to map State initiatives for young children and families and to develop a framework to track changes in initiatives over time. Thus, the Map and Track project was designed to determine the initiatives that States are undertaking to promote the healthy development of children. The report begins by identifying developments that make information about State initiatives for children and families timely; describing the types of State initiatives tracked by the project; outlining proxy indicators of…