This workbook was provided to participants in an Early Head Start/Child Welfare orientation training program held in June 2003, in Washington D.C. The first part of workbook includes information about the child welfare system, including the Children’s Bureau and child welfare services. The second part of the workbook includes child welfare resources, including a listing of federal funding resources for technical assistance, prevention activities, and online resources. The following sections review the major components of the Head Start program and the Early Head Start program. And provide…
In this report we describe the state of current research on father involvement and point to ways in which research findings might inform the economic and public policies that affect fathers. We do not intend an extensive review of the literature (see Lamb, 1997); rather, our goal is to integrate research and policies on father involvement into a framework that emphasizes the synergistic relationship between the two. A central aim of this report is to highlight limitations of past research and policies on father involvement and to raise questions that we hope will guide future efforts in this…
This working paper explores the role of fathers and father-child relationships in the psychosocial development of adolescents by examining outcomes data from National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) files on children and mothers. The survey uses a number of measures to evaluate child development and well being; other characteristics of children and mothers; information about family structure and household makeup; family income, home environment, and other sociodemographic factors; as well as children's perceptions of their mother, father, and or/step father. The initial survey was…
This report provides a review of the literature on fatherhood and factors that impact father involvement. It begins by examining the literature on father care activities and describing some of the variations in care that are linked to family and child characteristics. This research also includes studies centering on factors that increase or decrease the likelihood of fathers being involved in the care of their children. The review then focuses on fathers' status in families with attention given to four predominate father-child arrangements: married or cohabiting fathers in the same household…
Since 1984 policy makers have increasingly turned their attention to reforming the childsupport system. Despite this attention, the child support system has often failed to increase theeconomic security of single-parent families. This article sythesizes findings from recent qualitative studies to explain why the child support system "breaks down" for so many low-income families. This research suggests that parents often prefer informal arrangements of support and do not comply with child support regulations they perceive to be unfair, counterproductive, or punitive. It also suggests that…
This study was designed to explore possible differences between adoptive and biological fathers in terms of how much they enjoyed being involved in child care and child rearing activities with their young children. Anonymous questionnaires were returned by 85 adoptive and 98 biological first-time fathers with one child age three or younger. The results indicated that adoptive fathers derived greater enjoyment from their involvement in their children's lives than did biological fathers. Interestingly, the two most significant items were enjoy caring for a dependent human being and enjoy…
This executive summary describes the methodology used to investigate strategies States are using to promote responsible fatherhood and outcomes of the study. A demographic profile of fathers is provided that includes information on working fathers, father involvement in schools, and child support. Findings from the report indicate: 38 of the 45 responding States are engaging in current activities using public awareness to promote responsible fatherhood; 37 States sponsor one or more initiatives to help prevent unwanted or too-early fatherhood; 43 States use strategies to help fathers be…
The changing ideals of fatherhood have important implications for the types of activities that comprise father involvement, the empirical measurement of father involvement, and the instruments with which we measure involvement. Our first goal in this paper is to discuss briefly different tools and approaches to measuring father involvement, generally. Second, we talk about the specific measurement tools and methods used in the Father Studies of the Early Head Start (EHS) Evaluation Project. Third, we highlight lessons from the field that have emerged as father involvement is measured in the…
Most low-income dads are connected with their children at birth. Contrary to what some may believe, they do want to provide support for their children, although they do not know how to step into the role of financial and emotional provider. Often, these fathers share many of the same characteristics as welfare recipients--poor work history, low levels of literacy, sporadic employment or unemployment. Additionally, many low-income dads have grown up without their own fathers, so they lack true examples of what it means to be a father. There is growing recognition that low-income fathers are in…
Other, Fact Sheet
This kit was developed for educators and other professionals who are working to increase family involvement in education. It outlines strategies for involving fathers in children's learning at home, at school, and in the community. (Author abstract)
