The UK continues to top the league table for the highest rate of teenage births in Western Europe. Although data is collected on the mothers of these babies little is recorded on their fathers. This research seeks to help to redress that balance as it examines five projects across England which worked with young fathers from 2002-2004, affording not only those who ran the project a voice, but also the young fathers themselves.This report is an evaluation of TSA's Young Fathers Project, a two-year pilot that ended in March 2004. It was funded by the Family Support Grant, formerlyadministered…
Many school children and their families are faced with multiple health, education, and social service needs that no single agency is in a position to address alone. One intervention strategy that many schools are now beginning to use in these situations is a case management approach which emanates from the schools’ concern for children who are failing in school due to a variety of interacting school, home, and community influences. The purpose of this publication is to introduce school personnel concerned with early intervention with potential school dropouts to a promising school-based…
This report describes the activities and outcomes of the Fatherhood Initiative in South Carolina. The initiative funded ten fatherhood programs in twelve sites across the State. The report discusses the characteristics of the participants, barriers that are faced by fathers, components of the fatherhood programs, and the success of the programs. Findings from the initiative indicate 60% of the 2,437 men who entered the program were unemployed, and 55% did not have a high school degree. As a result of being in the program, 408 obtained employment, 214 improved their earnings, 597 received job…
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This issue brief discusses State development and implementation of marriage education programs to strengthen families and improve outcomes for children. It describes the objectives of the programs and types of programs, and notes research results that indicate children raised in two-parent homes with low conflict levels have a lower risk of both academic and behavioral issues and exhibit greater stability in their own relationships as adults. Strategies States and localities can use to fund marriage education are explained, and lessons learned from State and local programs are shared. Lessons…
The Sure Start Plus pilot program was implemented in England to target support services to teen parents. The initiative was intended to reduce social isolation and improve parenting skills, health care, housing opportunities, and child care. Through a variety of models, Sure Start Plus offered individual advisors, advocacy, group therapy, and parenting classes. This executive summary presents an overview of the program and highlights the findings of an evaluation. The review indicated that crisis services, parenting activities, and health assistance were successful in helping the young women…
Encouraging and strengthening marriage continues to move up the US's social policy agenda. This analysis uses nationally representative data on cohabiting couples with children from the 2002 round of the National Survey of America's Families (NSAF) to assess the actual marriage penalties or bonuses facing these couples. In addition to examining the consequences of current (2003) federal tax laws, it also assesses the incentives that will be in place in 2008 as the final marriage-related provisions of 2001's tax reform are phased-in. The paper incorporates potential changes in transfer income…
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This report explores the decline in marriage in the United States over the past five decades, the impact on children, and President's initiatives for encouraging marriage. It begins by reviewing evidence showing that marriage is associated with better health, higher earnings, and greater wealth among adults as well as with academic success and mental health among children. It states that while the evidence shows that the differences between children reared by married biological parents and children reared by only one biological parent are modest in percentage terms, the small differences…
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Consistent emotional bonds between families and adolescents have been found to be a significant protective factor for young people and a necessary component to achieve positive outcomes. That being said, it is estimated that there are 2,473,300 children of male prisoners and 319,718 children of female prisoners in U.S. correctional facilities. Our nation's high rate of incarceration takes a heavy toll socially and economically on children, their families and communities. Supports are needed because they make communities more resilient to the effects of incarceration and serve to prevent…
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This brief is on father-involvement programs that seek to sustain and grow low-income, nonresidential fathers' emotional and financial involvement in their children's lives. Such programs can strengthen families by enabling: Low-income children to receive emotional support from both parents; Poor children to have improved economic circumstances if increased child support raises family income; Noncustodial fathers to overcome child support problems and insufficient employment, both of which are primary barriers to father involvement; and Human service agencies to attend to the whole family,…
The current conference agreement of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 contains provisions reauthorizing the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. Among the provisions is a program of grants to promote healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood. This publication examines the funding and its uses and requirements. The House is expected to vote on the Act on February 1, 2006. (Author abstract)
