Father Facts 7 contains the research you need to be more effective in your work to promote involved, responsible, and committed fatherhood. As with past editions, it includes abstracts of the most recent studies, published since the last edition, and helpful tables that organize the data on rates of father absence. For this edition, we added brief summaries at the start of each chapter and section on the state of the research in each area that distills what we know related to that fatherhood-related topic. (Author abstract)
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Journal Article Despite the growing literature on coparenting and divorce education interventions, little has been written about the practice of delivering court-mandated parent education programs for both divorced and unmarried parents living apart. Through its sustained investment in supporting Minnesota families affected by divorce or separation with its Parents Forever™ parent education program and its partnership with Hennepin County’s Co-parent Court project, University of Minnesota Extension is able to explore the intersection of research about coparenting with the practice of court-mandated parent…
Brief
This brief provides a general overview of four Responsible Fatherhood (RF) grantees involved in the Parents and Children Together (PACT) Evaluation. The brief: 1) provides a general overview of two approaches to service delivery in fatherhood programs; 2) documents how service delivery is linked to fathers’ characteristics; and 3) describes how service delivery approach may be linked to program participation and retention rates. Data gathered via staff interviews, program observations conducted during site visits in fall 2013; ongoing interactions with leadership at each program; and data on…
In this qualitative study, the authors explored adolescent African American (AA) males’ characterizations of healthy teen dating relationships. They conducted semi-structured interviews with 18 AA males (ages 13-21) recruited from schools and community youth groups around Washington DC. Analysis focused on what the young men value in a dating relationship and their perceptions of what makes a relationship healthy. Their narratives provided multi-layered, descriptive characterizations of healthy dating dynamics. Through an iterative process, four key themes emerged (Trustworthy Relationship,…
Brief
Nonmarital childbearing in the United States increased from the 1940s to the 1990s, peaked in 2007–2008, and declined in 2013. In 2013, the nonmarital birth rate was 44.8 births per 1,000 unmarried women aged 15–44. Using data from the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), this study examines nonmarital first births reported by fathers aged 15–44. This report presents trends in nonmarital first births by father’s age at birth and Hispanic origin and race. Given increases in births occurring in cohabiting unions, first births within cohabitation are also examined. (Author abstract)
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Father involvement in early childhood (EC) programs has increased over the last several decades supported by recent attention on the positive influences of fathers on children.1,2 Program initiatives such as Early Head Start, and the fact that the majority of children ages 0 to 5 are enrolled in one or more programs in the U.S. make EC programs an important context for engaging fathers and supporting positive father involvement.3 This chapter will review the different types of EC fatherhood programs and summarize what is known about the effects of these programs on fathers and children. […
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Journal Article Despite substantial policy attention to increasing the number of custodial parents with child support orders, the proportion reporting that they are owed child support is falling. Potential explanations for this include increases in shared custody, increases in the number of noncustodial parents who have low incomes (or incomes lower than the custodial parent), and growing discretion to decide whether to participate in the formal child support system. We use data on about 4,000 divorces in Wisconsin that allow us to evaluate these alternative explanations, differentiating between divorces in…
This report tells how KIDS COUNT advocates in Nebraska, Wisconsin and Washington used solid data, leadership and citizen engagement to spur race-based legislation and community change. It is the first installment in the 5-part Race for Results Case Study series, which explores the intersection of kids, race and opportunity in America. (Author abstract)
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Journal Article Marriage between two parents, compared with other family living arrangements, appears, on average, to enhance children's wellbeing and development. Some of the positive association between marriage and children's wellbeing comes from positive associations between marriage and other things that also contribute to children's wellbeing. David Ribar first sets up a standard economic rational-choice model to show that, all else equal, marriage should produce advantages that can improve children’s wellbeing, such as better coordination between parents and economies of scale that make limited…
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The Fatherhood Research and Practice Network Coparenting Relationship Scale is designed to assess fathers' coparenting relationships with the mother of their non-residential children. The measure was validated with a sample of fathers very similar to those served in U.S. responsible fatherhood programs. A scoring guide can be found here. (Author abstract)
