Teens are becoming more independent, but they still need their parents' love, support, and guidance. This tip sheet helps parents understand typical teen behavior. It offers suggestions for how parents can use simple, everyday activities to reinforce their connection with their teens and show they care.
This factsheet explores the relationship between social support and father involvement. It reviews findings from research studies that indicate fathers who report having high levels of social support experience better psychological well-being and demonstrate more positive patterns of father involvement and coparenting. Studies suggest spousal/partner support is positively associated with fathers' well-being; high levels of program support are associated with higher reports of fathers' parenting skills; fathers who report high levels of tangible or instrumental support report better well-…
This factsheet explores the impact of stepfather involvement on child well-being. Research is cited that indicates although stepfathers are generally less involved with children than are biological fathers, they can have positive impacts on child and maternal outcomes. Studies suggest: stepfathers are generally less involved with children than are resident biological fathers; stepfathers typically show low levels of positive demeanor toward children and are less likely to express positive feelings toward or be supportive of children; stepfathers are perceived as being less successful at…
Many social service programs share common goals although they may vary widely by funding stream, service delivery strategy and/or target population. The marriage and relationship education (MRE) field and the child welfare system both strive to strengthen families and improve child outcomes. MRE practitioners may want to consider building partnerships with child protective services (CPS) to offer MRE as part of an intervention for families whose children may be at risk for abuse and/or neglect. This tip sheet provides advice on how to engage CPS in providing MRE to families. (Author abstract…
Marriage and relationship education (MRE) andresponsible fatherhood (RF) programs share the goalof improving the lives of children by strengtheningthe interpersonal skills of their parents. The origins of these program areas are distinct: MRE beganprimarily as a way to prepare couples for marriagewhereas RF was originally designed to prepareunmarried fathers to reconnect with their childrenand families. However, a common purpose has emerged between the two fields. According to the U.S. Census, more than 2.5 million children areraised in families without their biological father. This statistic…
The nation's Child Support Enforcement (CSE) program is a federal/state/tribal/local partnership to promote family self-sufficiency and child well-being. In most states, approximately half of all child support orders are established and enforced by a federal and state financed child support enforcement entity known as the IV-D program (from Title IV-D of the Social Security Act). About one-third of all children in the United States will receive some assistance from CSE and approximately 58 percent of CSE cases involve never-married parents. Services are available to a parent with custody of a…
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Intended for Wisconsin policymakers, this document explains infant and toddler development and key factors that influence the social and emotional competence, early learning and academic achievement, and secure attachment and self-regulation of children from birth to age three. The second part of the paper provides key facts and figures related to infants and toddlers in Wisconsin, current services that are available for infants and toddlers, and key Wisconsin efforts to assure quality services. The following section highlights early development programs that have been proven to work in other…
Children need guidance and discipline to grow into responsible, caring adults. Respectful and kind discipline that sets firm limits will teach youth to be responsible. This fact sheet discusses natural and logical consequences that will help youth learn what is expected of them.
Brief
This short paper focuses on the role that information giving and other more complex interventions with both parents can play in tackling some of the modifiable variables associated with decline in relationship satisfaction over the transition to parenthood. A wide range of delivery options are considered, including by volunteers and the private sector. (Author abstract)
Children who grow up in single-parent families are more likely to be poor, have trouble in school, and become teen parents themselves. Additionally, children who are born to a mother who is a teenager, who hasn't finished high school, and who isn't married are nine times more likely to be poor than a child whose mother is even a few years older, is married and has at least finished high school. Thus, strengthening families through both teen pregnancy prevention (TPP) and marriage and relationship education (MRE) programs is an effort to decrease out-of-wedlock childbearing and increase the…
