This InfoSheet presents research findings from the 2006 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services study, What About the Dads? Child Welfare Agencies' Efforts to Identify, Locate, and Involve Nonresident Fathers, which was conducted by the Urban Institute with the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. Based on this research, it offers ways in which caseworkers can locate and work with fathers to get them involved with their children.
Men on a Mission provides the first comprehensive study of men who work and volunteer with kids in a variety of public settings. This engaging book brings to life diverse histories and experiences of men who have worked as coaches, teachers, youth ministers, probation officers, Big Brothers, Boys & Girls Club staff, 4-H agents, and the like.Drawing on in-depth interviews with men between the ages of 19 and 65, ethnographic observations, and more than twenty years of research on fathers, William Marsiglio explores the many aspects of male mentorship of youth, including the motivating…
Over 1.5 million children in this country currently have one or both of their parents incarcerated. In addition to the trauma of this loss, these children face tremendous uncertainty in their living arrangements, relationships with loved ones, and family financial stability. Short-term coping responses and heavy stigma are common, both of which may lead to long-term emotional and behavioral challenges. This report reviews the current research on children with incarcerated parents and offers recommendations on how to reduce the negative impact of parental incarceration, with particular…
red dot icon
Journal Article Federal initiatives encourage social service agencies to engage fathers and strengthen families, but little research is available to guide administrative action. This survey among 339 fathers and 1,203 social services workers targets policy development. Gaps between father and worker perceptions, that imply limited or misunderstanding, were found. Although fathers perceived agency intervention as helpful, they requested more case-specific help and father-centered services. Social service workers valued father input, but struggled to navigate parental conflicts. Findings suggest needs for…
This document is to guide family services practitioners and fatherhood advocates in Minnesota as they work with fathers. The hope is that this information will help identify when an unmarried father is facing an issue that has important legal considerations or ramifications and provide some brief information. This is general educational information and not advice on any particular situation. More in-depth information on these topics can be found in the Unmarried Fathers? Guide to Paternity, Custody, Parenting Time and Child Support inMinnesota, at…
red dot icon
Journal Article This randomized study tested the effects of 2 prebirth interventions, Minnesota Early Learning Design coparenting and childbirth curricula, on young African American and Hispanic fathers and their adolescent partners (N = 154). The coparenting intervention (n = 44) was associated with changing fathers' perceptions of their coparenting behavior rather than mothers' perceptions of the fathers' behavior compared with the childbirth program (n = 46). Fathers and mothers consistently reported fathers' improved coparenting behavior when the coparenting intervention was compared with a no-…
red dot icon
Journal Article Incarcerated parents with children in foster care face many challenges staying connected. It can be difficult to access services, set up visits and reunite after release. Parents with sentences longer than 15 months are at risk of permanently losing their rights to their children. In this issue, parents in prison write about their efforts to stay connected to their children in foster care despite their incarceration and to reunify after release. (Author abstract)
Presents data from the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities about inmates who were parents and their minor children. This report compares estimates of the number of incarcerated parents and their children under the age of 18, by gender, age, race, and Hispanic origin in state and federal prisons in 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, and 2007. It presents the total number of children who were minors at some time during their parent's incarceration. The report describes selected background characteristics of parents in prisons, including marital status, citizenship,…
