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This issue of a newsletter for child welfare workers in Colorado describes strategies for developing a rapport with families from other cultures, fathers, and teens. The articles review the importance of client-worker collaboration to the success of assessments and services. Professionals who are working with culturally diverse families are advised to learn about values and experiences from a variety of resources, including parents themselves. Cultural differences should be respected and integrated into treatment when appropriate. Techniques for including fathers in casework include…
Brief
This issue brief discusses State development and implementation of marriage education programs to strengthen families and improve outcomes for children. It describes the objectives of the programs and types of programs, and notes research results that indicate children raised in two-parent homes with low conflict levels have a lower risk of both academic and behavioral issues and exhibit greater stability in their own relationships as adults. Strategies States and localities can use to fund marriage education are explained, and lessons learned from State and local programs are shared. Lessons…
The Sure Start Plus pilot program was implemented in England to target support services to teen parents. The initiative was intended to reduce social isolation and improve parenting skills, health care, housing opportunities, and child care. Through a variety of models, Sure Start Plus offered individual advisors, advocacy, group therapy, and parenting classes. This executive summary presents an overview of the program and highlights the findings of an evaluation. The review indicated that crisis services, parenting activities, and health assistance were successful in helping the young women…
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Journal Article Young fathers (N = 143) ages 16 33 participated in an assessment of risk behaviors, service needs, and mental health issues upon entering a fatherhood program. Almost 70% were unemployed, 39% were school dropouts, 47% used alcohol, 40% had problems with the law, and 42% had been in jail. The most frequently reported mental health issues were problems related to relationships, neighborhood, family, tobacco use, police, and being a parent. Fathers also identified feeling states of anger, sadness/depression, nervousness/tension, helplessness, and aggression. Although risk behaviors and mental…
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The forum served as an opportunity to reinvigorate an important dialogue among responsible fatherhood and healthy marriage leaders. It brought together a diverse group of state and local agencies, faith- and community-based organizations, public and private sectors, responsible fatherhood and healthy marriage experts, researchers, practitioners, and federal staff. These representatives offered lessons learned from working with fathers, families and couples and providing marriage education services. They also explored best and promising practices in promoting the economic, physical, and social…
This report documents the range of services that intermediaries provide to their constituent organizations, and highlights those that constitute promising practices. The report defines as promising practices those efforts undertaken by the intermediaries that show potential for producing successful outcomes--they improve the organizational capacity of faith-based and community organizations, are broadly used and accepted (although not universally), and have the potential for replication among other organizations. (Author abstract).
Brief
This document identifies six elements that appear necessary, according to the research, for building capacity for evaluation and accountability. Questions to prompt discussion and reflection among the planning/stakeholder group are followed by suggested strategies to address each element. (Author abstract).
