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Journal Article Healthy Families New York (HFNY) is an evidence-based home visiting program for expectant and new parents in socioeconomically disadvantaged families at elevated risk for child maltreatment and other adverse outcomes. HFNY makes concerted efforts to promote a father-inclusive culture and increase engagement of fathers in all aspects of home visiting. This study describes fathers’ participation in HFNY and examines how fathers’ participation relates to program retention and to father–child co-residency and father involvement. Program data were extracted from HFNY’s data management system.…
This report presents findings from a feasibility evaluation of the Bridges to Pathways (Bridges) program. Bridges was a program for young men in Chicago between the ages of 17 and 21 years who were involved with the criminal or juvenile justice system and lacked a high school credential. The program offered intensive mentoring and case management, as well as the opportunity to earn a high school credential, attend social-emotional learning workshops, and participate in a subsidized internship. The Bridges program was launched in 2013, and the evaluation of this developing program builds…
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, TexasThis study provides information about how these federally funded programs are implemented in a culturally relevant way and…
This infographic highlights fatherhood programs to demonstrate how to use data to learn about your program, identify areas for improvement, and set goals. Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Justice Involved Individuals Seeking Employment(CBI-Emp) is a program designed to improve economic stability using cognitive behavioral techniques with fathers with recent involvement in the justice system and medium to high risk of reoffending. Just Beginning (JB) is a parenting program designed to enhance a father’s early relationship with his children. It is currently being implemented and…
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Journal Article Research on the situated contexts of fathering has found that the social and symbolic dimensions of fathering spaces influence how men construct and enact fatherhood scripts. Qualitative studies of fatherhood programs have mostly investigated parenting education and job assistance programs, revealing how fathering interventions allow disadvantaged men to shape positive paternal identities. In‐depth interviews and focus groups were conducted with a nonrandom sample of 64 primarily Black and Latino low‐income fathers who participated in a federally funded responsible fatherhood program. An…
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Journal Article Taking a preventive father-inclusive approach, the Supporting Father Involvement (SFI) intervention aims to strengthen coparenting, parent–child relationships, and child outcomes. This study replicates four prior iterations of the program using the same 32-hour curriculum facilitated by clinically trained staff, case managers, and onsite child care and family meals. With its intentional outreach and inclusion of fathers, SFI offers an effective intervention for lower risk child welfare–involved families. Results argue for the utility of treating community and child welfare parents in mixed…
The evaluation team selected four grantees to participate in the PACT RF study: (1) Connections to Success in Kansas and Missouri, (2) Fathers’ Support Center in Missouri, (3) FATHER Project at Goodwill–Easter Seals Minnesota, and (4) Urban Ventures in Minnesota. As required by ACF, the RF grantees offered services in three areas: (1) parenting and fatherhood, (2) healthy marriage and relationships, and (3) economic stability. (Author introduction modified)
Brief
Since the 1970s, Americans’ household incomes have become more volatile, fluctuating year-to-year and week-to-week. Increased income volatility is particularly prominent among low-income families, many of whom are served by the U.S. system of means-tested income support programs. These programs provide income, goods, and services to families who prove that their income (and sometimes assets) are low enough to qualify for a particular program and meet other program requirements. At initial application, during benefit receipt, and at recertification periods, each income support program has…
Brief
Low-income families face significant challenges navigating both low-wage employment or education and training programs and also finding good-quality child care. Programs that intentionally combine services for parents and children can help families move toward economic security and create conditions that promote child and family well-being. Although these programs in general are not new (see Background), policymakers and program leaders are now experimenting with innovative approaches to combining services. Yet, most currently operating programs, sometimes called “two-generation” or “dual…
Families on limited incomes can struggle to navigate low-wage jobs or education and training programs while also searching for quality early care and education for their children. Some programs provide integrated services to parents and their children in an effort to solve this problem. This practice is sometimes called a two-generation or whole-family approach. This report provides: (1) key findings from a literature review, an environmental scan, and field work to identify and describe existing program models; (2) development of a conceptual framework to inform program design and research;…
