Brief
Many programs within the Administration for Children and Families work with fathers to promote economic self-sufficiency and social well-being for them and their families. As a part of that work, we also implement rigorous research and evaluation projects designed to improve our understanding of how best to serve those fathers. This brief describes research and evaluation projects related to the Responsible Fatherhood grant program and noncustodial parents, and other research related to fathers and fatherhood.
Brief
This brief introduces the Family and Provider/Teacher Relationship Quality (FPTRQ) measures for early care and education stakeholders. The brief introduces the constructs and elements included in the measures, the measures' reliability, how the measures might be used, and how to use them. If you plan to use the measures, reviewing the full Family and Provider/Teacher Relationship Quality Measures: User’s Manual is recommended. (Author abstract modified)
Brief
This brief describes the process of measuring cultural sensitivity in the Family and Provider/Teacher Relationship Quality project. Researchers measuring cultural sensitivity in other fields may also find the information contained within this brief useful. (Author abstract)
Brief
This research-to-practice brief is intended to help policymakers, program managers, and practitioners learn how the newly released Family and Provider/Teacher Relationship Quality (FPTRQ) measures can be used to complement or supplement two approaches, Strengthening Families™ and the Head Start Parent, Family and Community Engagement (PFCE) frameworks, and their related self-assessments, that have been frequently used by Early Care and Education (ECE) stakeholders to support their work with families and to assess their programs, providers and teachers in these efforts. (Author abstract)
This fact sheet provides ideas and resources for beginning a conversation with participants about two specific financial empowerment topics: starting an emergency savings account and building credit. It examines some common concerns about financial topics like "We don’t have enough money to start a savings account" and "Will pulling my credit report hurt my credit score?" and offers ways to help participants take the first step. The fact sheet also directs HMRF practitioners to where they can find financial institution and credit counseling partners. (Author abstract)
Early childhood home visiting programs typically target pregnant women and mothers of young children, but increasing attention is being given to the practice of engaging fathers as well. This study aimed to understand how home visiting programs engage fathers, what fathers’ experiences are in those programs, and the perceived benefits of fathers’ participation. Qualitative interviews were conducted with home visiting program administrators, staff members, and participating fathers and mothers in five programs implementing strategies to engage fathers in home visiting services. The findings…
Brief
Early childhood home visiting programs typically target pregnant women and mothers of young children, but increasing attention is being given to the practice of engaging fathers as well. The study aimed to understand how home visiting programs engage fathers, what fathers’ experiences are in those programs, and the perceived benefits of fathers’ participation. Qualitative interviews were conducted with home visiting program administrators, staff members, and participating fathers and mothers in five programs implementing strategies to engage fathers in home visiting services. The findings…
This report describes in detail how researchers, policymakers, and program administrators can recognize opportunities for experiments and carry them out. Specifically, the report focuses on opportunistic experiments, defined as randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that study the effects of initiatives, program changes, or policy actions that agencies or programs plan or intend to implement – as opposed to studying an intervention or policy action that is developed and implemented specifically for a research study. (Author abstract)
This report describes four Responsible Fatherhood programs that focus primarily on low-income Hispanic fathers: Futuro Now from KidWorks, a partner of The East Los Angeles Community Union, in Santa Ana, California; Project Fatherhood at The Children’s Institute, Inc., in Los Angeles County, California; Project Padres at Imperial Valley Regional Occupational Program in Imperial County, California; Responsible Fatherhood Program at Southwest Key in San Antonio, Texas. This study provides information about how these federally funded programs are implemented in a culturally relevant way and…
Brief
Home visiting programs have a long history in the United States and abroad as a tool for supporting vulnerable families by encouraging positive parenting, promoting child development, and improving maternal and child health. Although programs have traditionally targeted pregnant women and mothers of young children, in the last several years interest has grown in expanding home visiting to more explicitly include fathers. This brief highlights the experiences of a select group of home visiting programs in the United States that are engaging low-income fathers, including the approaches…
