This report summarizes findings from a study that examined the characteristics, challenges, and needs of young fathers in Canada. The study conducted a number of one-to-one interviews and focus groups with young fathers accessing its services as well as services at other agencies. This data was also compared to existing statistics collected as part of Terra Association's Young Dad's Outreach Services. Secondly, a literature review was conducted to research and highlight a number of research areas related to fathering, men's issues, and young fathers in particular. The findings of this two-…
Third in a series of guides on encouraging father involvement in Head Start programs for young children, this guide discusses assessing program effectiveness in involving fathers and identifying what changes might need to be made to ensure that the program is as father-friendly as possible. It begins by explaining six stages of becoming a father-friendly program: understanding and appreciating fathers' vital contributions to healthy child development, creating an environment where fathers feel welcomed and valued, deciding what to do, recruiting fathers, operating the program, and sustaining…
This InfoSheet is a brief review of information for family services practitioners and fatherhood advocates, which highlights basic recommendations for making a father-friendly Early Childhood Family Education program. (Author abstract modified)
New families, in particular new fathers, face a world that can be very exciting but also very daunting. Most of the teachers in the early-childhood classrooms are women. Many of the parent education teachers are women. One way to help fathers feel at ease within these classrooms is to identify male teachers or volunteers who can helprecruit and welcome men into the group. This InfoSheet provides a few ways for ensuring the fathers that need help will ask for it. (Author abstract modified)
This document attempts to remove a bit of the mystery around helping parents with child support modifications. Written with the presumption that the father is the noncustodial parent who is paying child support, this same information can be applied to all noncustodial parents whether they are fathers or mothers. (Author abstract)
This InfoSheet contains a list of suggested activities for how a father can be to be involved in his child's life--whether he or she is a baby or a young adult. The key to each of these activities is finding mutually enjoyable activities that can be done all year--not just as a special event on Father's Day. (Author abstract modified)
This InfoSheet will help staff members understand the difference between the perceptions versus the reality of young fathers before beginning any program intended for them.(Author abstract modified)
Teenage childbearing is associated with many adverse consequences for teen mothers, their families, and children. Many of the negative consequences for teen mothers are due to the disadvantaged situations in which many of these girls already lived before having a teen birth. While the disadvantaged backgrounds of most teen mothers account for many of the burdens that these young women shoulder, having a baby during adolescence often restricts economic and educational opportunities, and these disadvantages tend to be passed on to the next generation. Children born to teen mothers are often…
Over two decades of research confirms that parents -- and that includes Dads -- are an important influence on whether their teenagers become pregnant or cause a pregnancy. In a variety of ways, parental behavior and the nature of parent/child relationships influence teens' sexual activity and use of contraception. While parents cannot determine whether their children have sex, use contraception, become pregnant, or cause a pregnancy, the quality of the relationships with their children can make a real difference. (Author abstract)
The thesis of this study is that children and adolescents who grow up in intact families are generally less likely to commit acts of delinquency than children and adolescents who grow up in non-intact families, which, for the purposes of this paper, are defined as single-parent families, blended or stepfamilies, and no-parent families. Using both a bivariate regression model and several multiple regression models, the paper sets out to test the hypothesis that family structure has a significant impact on the level of risk of adolescent delinquency even when controlling for other factors…
