Brief
This federally funded brief discusses how the rise in the popularity of cohabiting is linked to other important shifts in family patterns in the United States, and provides information on the number of cohabiting couples with children, different types of cohabitation, and research findings on cohabitation. Evidence is cited that indicates cohabiting before marriage is a risk factor for divorce and that married couples who lived together before marriage both report and are observed to have worse communication, less marital satisfaction, and more physical violence than couples who did not live…
Other, Brief
This paper analyzes legislative proposals that address marriage, and the potential impact on current fatherhood programs serving low-income families. The initiation of fatherhood programs following the passage of the Personal Responsibility Work Opportunities Reconciliation Act in 1996 is reviewed and current legislative proposals are described, including: the Child Support Distribution Act of 2001 and the Fathers Count Act of 1999, which combine child support reform measures with fatherhood provisions; the Strengthening Working Families Act, which contains child support distribution…
Brief
This brief spotlights how six school districts across the country have used innovative strategies to create and sustain family engagement "systems at work." Our findings point to three core components of these successful systems: creating district-wide strategies, building school capacity, and reaching out to and engaging families. Drawing from districts' diverse approaches, we highlight promising practices to ensure quality, oversight, and impact from their family engagement efforts. We also propose a set of recommendations for how federal, state, and local policies can promote district-…
Brief
This brief describes the work of Responsible Fatherhood, Marriage, and Family Strengthening Grants for Incarcerated and Re-Entering Fathers and Their Partners (MFS-IP) grantees in delivering programming in correctional facilities. The brief documents challenges faced by grantees, including logistical barriers, recruitment problems, and challenges retaining incarcerated fathers in programming. (Author abstract)
Brief
This brief explains the importance of father involvement with their children, child welfare agencies' effort to identify, locate, and involve non-resident fathers in the child welfare process, and barriers to father involvement. The use of family group decision making (FGDM) to engage fathers in case-planning and decision-making processes is highlighted. Strategies for using FGDM when domestic violence is present in the family are discussed, as well as ways to expand the family network through FGDM. 13 references.
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Training Materials Curriculum Goals:1. To provide an experiential learning event on the historical relevance and current impacts of slavery on African-American fathers. 2. To develop an awareness of biases against African-American fathers by Child Welfare social workers and their agencies. 3. To present solutions to the systemic biases against African-American fathers within Child Welfare. 4. To value the application of principles of Fairness and Equity and associated skills and strategies in working with other culturally diverse families within child welfare systems. (Author abstract)
Training Materials, Book
The Money Habitudes Professionals Guide is designed for those working with Money Habitudes cards and covering money-related issues. Easy to understand and broadly applicable, the guide helps counselors, educators, therapists, financial practitioners and coaches when working with individuals, couples or groups. It provides plans for short icebreakers and longer standalone activities (15 minutes to 2 hours) as well as suggestions for using Money Habitudes cards with other programs: pre-marital, marriage enrichment, couples counseling, communication, conflict management, and life skills, as well…
Training Materials, Book
The Money Habitudes Teen Guide is designed for those using Money Habitudes for Teens and covering money-related issues. The cards help teens discover the hidden messages that motivate the way they make money decisions. The guide provides educators, youth leaders and counselors five lesson plans which can each be used as five stand-alone lesson plans or combined for a more in-depth program of five classes or a half-day program. They can be used in-conjunction with programs in financial literacy, life skills, psychology or business to help teens develop a healthier relationship with money.…
Training Materials, Other
The Money Habitudes Workshop/Training DVD is designed to be used with Money Habitudes cards. It may be used to educate those using the cards, as a tool to help train-the-trainer, or as an interactive component in workshops or meetings. The DVD is also a useful way for individuals and couples to learn about their own Money Habitudes and understand how they can support or sabotage achieving their life and financial goals. The 26-minute DVD is divided into four sections: Introduction and overview to how we develop our habits and attitudes about money (12 minutes); How to use the cards (4 minutes…
Training Materials, Book
The Money Habitudes workbook is designed to be used with Money Habitudes cards and the Money Habitudes Training DVD. Its exercises help people discover how habits and attitudes about money support or sabotage their life, relationship, career and financial goals. The guide can be used in the context of a group training or can be used by individuals and couples working on their own. The workbook walks people through the steps to sort and interpret the Money Habitudes cards; provides space to record results and interpretations; includes tables relating Habitudes to typical financial and life…
