The standard portrayals of economic life for ordinary Americans and their families paint a picture of stagnancy, even decline, amidst rising income inequality or joblessness. But rarely does the public conversation about the changing economic fortunes of Americans and their families look at questions of family structure. This is an important oversight because, as this report shows, changes in family formation and stability are central to the changing economic landscape of American families, to the declining economic status of men, and to worries about the health of the American dream. (Author…
Report, Other
This document proposes strategies that communities can consider to promote the types of relationships and environments that help children grow up to be healthy and productive citizens so that they, in turn, can build stronger and safer families and communities for their children. It is organized into four sections. Each section focuses on one goal and lays out suggested steps to help you move toward that goal. The four sections include: Goal 1: Raise awareness and commitment to promote Safe, Stable, and Nurturing Relationships (SSNRs) and prevent Child Maltreatment; Goal 2: Use data to inform…
This report discusses the incidence of child sexual abuse in families in which children do not live with both biological parents and the silence surrounding the link between family breakdown and child sexual abuse in Australia. The need for a government-commissioned, anti-child sexual abuse public information campaign based on pro-marriage campaigns in the United States is emphasized. It begins with information on the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and its lack of focus on familial sexual abuse that accounts for an estimated 70 to 80% of cases of child…
This methodological report focuses on the development of qualitative instruments designed to better understand family engagement in Head Start and Early Head Start. The report draws on pilot data collected during the 2012-2013 program year and provides information about the performance of the piloted interview protocols, revisions made to instruments based on their performance, and the best methods for gathering qualitative information about family engagement experiences from families and staff in future studies. The report also includes an instrument package with the revised set of interview…
Intended to advance conversations about racial equity and providing children of color with the opportunities they need to thrive, this report presents data by race and ethnicity on indicators that suggest whether children are succeeding in each stage of life, from birth through young adulthood and are on the path to economic success. The indicators measure racial differences in the following areas: babies born at normal birth weight; children ages 3 to 5 enrolled in nursery school, preschool, or kindergarten; fourth graders who scored at or above proficient in reading; eighth graders who…
This report provides detailed summaries of major research investments by OPRE's Division of Family Strengthening (DFS) along with brief overviews of past projects. The featured projects cover topics that include strengthening relationships within families, supporting fatherhood, nurturing children through their families, reducing teen pregnancy, and supporting youth in their transition to adulthood. The report also describes DFS's investments in activities to disseminate rigorous research on family strengthening topics to a diverse range of stakeholders including federal and state policy-…
The following executive summary outlines current research gaps and future opportunity for study of fathers' ability to support themselves and their families economically. (Author abstract)
The following executive summary outlines current research gaps and future opportunity for study within the area of co-parenting and healthy relationships. (Author abstract)
The following report outlines current research gaps and future opportunity for study within the area of co-parenting and healthy relationships. (Author abstract)
The paper addresses four areas of work-family policy with particular relevance for the wellbeing of low-income working parents and their families: (1) unpaid family and medical leave, (2) paid parental or family leave (extended leave), (3) paid sick leave (short-term leave), and (4) workplace flexibility or initiatives to expand employees' control over work shifts, hours, and other circumstances of their jobs. It provides a scan of recent research and of federal, state, and local policy developments. It notes that considerable research indicates benefits from work-family supports to low-…
