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Father involvement is critical to a child's long-term growth and development. Increased positive father involvement and engagement will create greater opportunities for fathers to make a significant contribution to their children's healthy growth and development. Fathers vary in expectations about their roles and the goals they have set for parenting and child development activities. These varying expectations need to be considered and responded to as efforts are made to support a range of father involvement opportunities. This tool has been developed, pilot-tested and used by several…
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This report describes a 4-day NCCAN-coordinated meeting of representatives of the Administration for Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) and their grantees, NCCAN, the Office of Human Development Services Discretionary Grants Management Branch, the National Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect, and consultants and representatives of various coalition groups dealing with issues in teen parenting and child abuse. Issues discussed include perspectives for the 1990s; Federal government priorities for grantees' projects; conference goals; reports from workgroups; adolescent life and pregnancy…
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This paper explains the rationale of interventions designed to support the relationship between children and their battering fathers. Traditional domestic violence services have focused primarily on treating battered women and their children, neglecting to hold fathers accountable for the effects of their abuse. The involvement of abusive men in the welfare of their children forces them to take responsibility. Interventions also help children to resolve their feelings of conflicting loyalties to their parents. Children's groups are often effective in helping children understand the nature of…
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This paper describes the federally funded teenage parent demonstration initiative to address the problems of teenage parenting. Child welfare agencies in Chicago, Illinois, and Camden and Newark, New Jersey, participated in the initiative, providing services that encouraged the self-sufficiency of the parents. The mandatory program was employment-oriented, focusing on education, job training, and working. Transportation and child care assistance was provided, as well as in-house workshops on home management, parenting, health and nutrition, and workplace skills. Lessons learned from the…
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This paper describes a study examining the nature and importance of fathers' relationships to their infants. Most previous research in this area had concentrated on the negative impact on childhood development of a father's absence, or on the differences between children's relationships with strangers and with their mothers. This study examined the child's behavior in an unfamiliar playroom as a function of the presence or absence of his mother, father, or an unfamiliar female at the ages of 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, and 21 months. The sample consisted of 144 infants (all first-born children), with…
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The influence of fathers' interactive and child-care characteristics on infants' social behavior is explored in 5 experimental studies of infant-father interaction. Problems of methodology are discussed and father-caregiving patterns are noted. The relationship to the father was seen to be independent of the extent of his involvement in child care, although some minimal level of interaction seemed necessary. Extensive paternal caregiving was related to the preference for the father in the laboratory and shortened durations of separation protest. The final study demonstrated that manipulation…
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This directory lists national organizations that offer advocacy, research, education, and direct services to strengthen the involvement of fathers in family life. Brief descriptions of the missions and activities of the organizations are provided.Document scanned.
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Research findings from a comprehensive search of Internet sites, bibliographies, government sources, and experts were reviewed in preparation for a three-year study about child welfare practices with noncustodial fathers. This report summarizes the literature about trends in family living arrangements, the effects of trends in non-custodial fatherhood on families within the child welfare system, the barriers to father participation in case planning, and innovative practices used to locate and engage fathers in the child welfare case process. Overall, the review found that child welfare…
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This report describes fatherhood programs identified as exemplary by the members of the National Governors' Association in 1998. Thirty-nine governors cited services for low-income, noncustodial fathers; parenting skills training programs; public awareness campaigns; state fatherhood commissions; comprehensive funding streams; and premature fatherhood prevention. These programs promote father involvement as a strategy for the prevention of poverty, school problems, early sexual activity, substance abuse, and youth violence. They range from employment-related services to parent training for…
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Community foundations can promote responsible fatherhood by publicizing the important role of fathers, developing community resources, educating fathers about parenthood, and helping men overcome work-related challenges. In addition, community organizations can advocate for public policy reform to support father-child relationships. This guide provides examples of community foundation initiatives in each of these areas and highlights additional strategies for involvement. Recommendations include: examine the impact of foundation funding policies on fathers, participate in local Father's Day…
