This resource is the final report of the QIC's research project on NonResident Fathers (NRF). There were three primary project goals: 1. To promote innovation, evidence-based practice improvements, and advancement of knowledge about child welfare outcomes by involving NRFs through experimental research designs testing promising practices. 2. To establish a national problem-solving and collaborative information-sharing network among sub-grantees, the Children’s Bureau TA network, public child welfare agencies, private service providers, fatherhood and healthy marriage groups, and other…
In May 2012, the National Partnership for Women & Families released Expecting Better: A State-by-State Analysis of Laws that Help New Parents. Expecting Better summarized the family friendly federal laws that help new and expecting parents and catalogues state laws that improve upon minimum federal standards. This special report, Dads Expect Better: Top States for New Dads, focuses specifically on the states in which existing family friendly leave policies include new fathers, providing them with the support they need to care for their families. (Author abstract)
In 2005, the National Partnership for Women & Families published the first edition of Expecting Better: A State-by-State Analysis of Laws that Help New Parents, a comprehensive review of federal and state laws that help new and expecting parents take leave when a child arrives. The second edition of Expecting Better documents workers' rights under current state laws and the progress that states have made in promoting the economic security of new parents. In addition, a special section provided a snapshot of state policies that more broadly assist family caregivers--both parents and…
In response to dramatic increases in imprisonment, a burgeoning literature considers the consequences of incarceration for family life, almost always documenting negative consequences. But the effects of incarceration may be more complicated and nuanced and, in this paper, we consider the countervailing consequences of paternal incarceration for both fathers' and mothers' parenting. Using longitudinal data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study and a rigorous research design, we find recent paternal incarceration sharply diminishes the parenting behaviors of residential fathers…
Current policy regarding child protection services places increasing demands for providers to engage fathers whose children are involved in the child protection process. This requisite brings to the fore the ongoing challenges that fathers have historically faced in working within these systems. Despite this need, there is little empirical evidence regarding the factors and strategies that impact the engagement of fathers in interventions relevant to child protection services. This comprehensive and systemic review synthesizes the available literature regarding factors and strategies that may…
A parenting adult and a 10- to 15-year old were surveyed in 1,511 racially, ethnically, economically, geographically, and structurally diverse U.S. families. Key findings indicate: (1) The average American family surveyed scores 47 out of 100 on the Family Assets Index; (2) Families are more alike than different when it comes to overall levels of Family Assets; (3) Some demographic factors do make a difference in overall levels of Family Assets, though these differences tend to be small -- some factors that do affect overall levels of Family Assets include age of the child, parenting adults'…
Theories of family functioning suggest that childbearing with multiple partners may increase parenting stress due to changes in social and economic resources and the challenges associated with parenting across multiple households. These family processes may not be equally stressful for mothers and fathers, because they face different parental constraints and responsibilities. I use four waves of data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study to examine whether multi-partnered fertility increases parenting stress for mothers and fathers. Using lagged regression models and…
Why are Family Dinners Important? It isn't always easy to eat dinner together as a family. Research from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) has found that when they asked teens and parents why they didn't eat dinner more often together, the two groups of people blamed each other. Research studies, however, continue to highlight the power of family dinners. When you gather around the table, make it count! Talk about what's going on in your lives. Tell jokes. Discuss current events. Make family meals fun! Use this kit with both young children and teens to help plan a…
The Urban Institute in conjunction with the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) launched the Transition from Prison to the Community (TPC) initiative in 2001, recognizing the need to provide States with support and guidance in developing an effective reentry system to help prisoners prepare for their release, navigate their transition back to the community, and overcome short- and long-term barriers to reintegration. This model was implemented in a group of eight States from 2001 to 2009 and an extensive analysis on its findings was completed. This evaluation of the Transition from Prison…
The purpose of this guide is to provide a comprehensive set of resources for jurisdictions interested in addressing the needs of pregnant and parenting youth in foster care.The guide is organized into three major program categories: 1) Parenting Supports; 2) Developmental Supports for Children and Parents, including Health Care and Trauma-Informed Supports; and 3) Preparation for Adulthood, including Education and Housing. Evidence of effectiveness is listed in each of the program descriptions, which includes rating information from Evidence-Based Clearinghouses or any other information of…
