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Journal Article Wealth inequality in the United States has increased tremendously over the last several decades and has potentially serious repercussions for disparities in child well-being. Household debt, a key component of wealth, may also play a role in such disparities. In this study, the authors explore the associations of parents’ unsecured debt with children’s socioemotional well-being. Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, the authors compare the associations of mothers’ unsecured household debt, fathers’ unsecured household debt, and fathers’ child support arrears with…
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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…
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Journal Article Child maltreatment rates are strongly linked to adult male behavior, suggesting that labor market conditions, by influencing male behaviors, can influence maltreatment rates. Using the unemployment rate as the sole measure of labor market conditions, past studies generally conclude that employment conditions do not systematically influence child maltreatment rates. By contrast, this study found that state-level child maltreatment rates were statistically significant and inversely related to the state-level employment rates of men, aged 20 to 34 yrs old. It also found that the interaction of…
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Journal Article This study investigates how unemployment, traumatic sexual experiences, substance use, intimate partner violence, and parental involvement collectively contribute to involvement with child protective system (CPS) and court-restricted access to children among low-income, ethnically diverse fathers. Participants were 164 fathers involved in a statewide fatherhood program. The majority of the fathers in the program were unemployed (76%) and ethnic minorities (66%). Logistic regression revealed that traumatic sexual experiences and number of children were significant predictors of CPS involvement…
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Journal Article The article discusses the answers on questions posed regarding public policy toward fathers with low income in the child support program. It states that the federal government must aim for additional funding to programs designed for the employment of low-income fathers in the child support programs that would increase employment and decrease poverty among low-earning fathers and their children. It notes that making programs mandatory and voluntary will be beneficial to low-earning fathers in the child support program. It mentions that said programs may include services like case management,…
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Marriage has become a major component of the TANF reauthorization debates, as proposals in the Senate, House, and White House have allocated significant resources to marriage promotion activities and related research. Although there is an existing body of research on marriage from fields such as psychology, demography, and child development, research on marriage policy is sparse. In September 2003, the National Poverty Center hosted a conference to synthesize what is known from existing research about marriage policies and family formation issues.This issue of the forum describes two recent…
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Journal Article Few programs to enhance fathers' engagement with children have been systematically evaluated, especially for low-income minority populations. In this study, 289 couples from primarily low-income Mexican American and European American families were randomly assigned to one of three conditions and followed for 18 months: 16-week groups for fathers, 16-week groups for couples, or a 1-time informational meeting. Compared with families in the low-dose comparison condition, intervention families showed positive effects on fathers' engagement with their children, couple relationship quality, and…
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Journal Article Teen dating violence (TDV) is a preventable public health problem that has negative consequences for youth. Despite evidence that youth in urban communities with high crime and economic disadvantage may be at particularly high risk for TDV, little work has specifically addressed TDV in these communities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed a comprehensive approach to prevent TDV--Dating Matters: Strategies to Promote Healthy Teen Relationships--that addresses gaps in research and practice. This report from CDC describes the programmatic activities,…
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Journal Article The article explores social inequality in the U.S. penal system. The authors report that the prison and jail population is experiencing rapid growth and producing a disadvantaged social group. They focus on the lives and families of young African American men in prisons and local jails and the increase in incarceration rate for African American males from 1980 to 2010. The authors suggest that incarceration creates inequality that is invisible to mainstream society but that diminishes social and economic opportunities for people who are already disadvantaged. The authors suggest that social…
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Many children experience adversity in the form of poverty, abuse or neglect, homelessness, or other conditions that make them vulnerable to the damaging effects of chronic stress. New research reveals that chronic stress alters their rapidly developing biological systems in ways that undermine their ability to succeed in school and in life. The good news is that we have strong evidence for programs and approaches that policy makers could use to help these children overcome the effects of stress. Home visitation and early childhood health care can give parents much-needed support and…
