Brief
The decline in fathers’ employment during the Great Recession may have created conditions where families forego paid child care and instead rely on fathers to care for children not only to save money, but also because these fathers now have fewer work commitments. This brief adds to our understanding about men’s changing roles that resulted from their job losses during the Great Recession. (Author abstract)
Brief
Using data from the Caregiving in the U.S. 2015 survey, this Spotlight highlights male family caregivers, providing current information about the experiences and challenges facing them today. (Author abstract modified)
Brief
In this briefing paper we provide an overview of the support needs and experiences of the young men in our study (31 young men in our longitudinal sample and four others recruited as clients of particular services, aged between 14 and 24 at the point of entry into parenthood). Drawing on both client and practitioner accounts, we consider how young fathers are perceived and treated in their various encounters with professional agencies. In seeking to contribute new insights on the effectiveness of such support,we address a key question posed by Hadley (2014): Are young fathers hard to reach?…
Brief
In this introductory paper, we chart the transitions into parenthood of the 31 young men recruited for our longitudinal study. We explore whether their entry into parenthood was planned; what, if any, choices the young men were able to exercise; and to what extent they were able to adjust to their new role and develop a long term commitment to their child. (Author abstract modified)
Brief
This brief, one of three in a series, describes activities the Community-Centered Responsible Fatherhood Ex-Prisoner Reentry Pilot Project (Fatherhood Reentry) programs used to foster economic stability for participating fathers and their families. The brief presents recommendations, based on an implementation study of the Fatherhood Reentry projects, for practitioners implementing economic stability activities for the reentry population. (Author abstract)
Brief
This brief from MDRC introduces the Building Bridges and Bonds study (B3) to practitioners and stakeholders in the fatherhood field. It describes three innovative practices for Responsible Fatherhood programs. Each innovation is practical and interactive and addresses issues important to low-income fathers. The B3 team selected them for their high potential to provide useful lessons for the field. The team then collaborated with local fatherhood programs and program developers to tailor the innovations for B3. The brief is the first in a series of publications on B3, its findings, and the…
Brief
This brief summarizes findings on the impact of couples-based family strengthening services in four prison-based programs from the Multi-Site Family Study on Incarceration, Parenting and Partnering (MFS-IP) and discusses the implications for policy, programs, and future research. In one of the four grantee programs, the low-dosage healthy relationship retreat had sustained positive effects on multiple partnership and parenting relationship outcomes for a low-income, justice-involved population. This evaluation attempted to isolate the impacts of relatively low-dosage couples programming.…
Brief
This brief uses a sample of over 1,000 reentering men in five states to examine reentry success. The analysis uses a common measure of recidivism as well as measures of success in other areas, including employment, drug use, and two dimensions of family relationship quality that are very rarely examined in reentry studies: financial support for children and intimate/coparenting relationship quality. The results suggest that most men were successful in at least four of the measured areas and that family contact during incarceration was positively associated with reentry success. Further,…
Brief
To better understand the challenges federal grantees face in sustaining their programs, and to learn from the successful efforts of former grantees, the Office of Adolescent Health (OAH) launched a sustainability study. OAH’s sustainability study examines whether—and in what form—programs first funded in 2010 to support expectant and parenting youth and families have continued operating beyond the federal grant, and the types of strategies and resources they found useful in attempting to sustain their programs. This brief presents the first set of findings from the sustainability study. It…
Brief
This brief explores child and partner separations among families experiencing homelessness.Additionally, the brief examines: family separations and reunifications in the 20 months after being in emergency shelter and; the association between family separation and recent housing instability following the initial shelter stay. This is the fourth in a series of research briefs sponsored by OPRE and ASPE that draws on data collected as part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Family Options Study. The Family Options Study has data on 2,282 homeless families with children in…
