NFPN's Position Paper on Fatherhood in the Child Welfare System was commissioned by the National Child Welfare Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice. The paper explores the research on fatherhood in the child welfare system, the impact of ASFA on fatherhood, best practices, and recommendations as to how the child welfare system can join the fatherhood movement. The paper concludes that there are currently no models, training curricula, training protocols, or technical assistance for engaging and involving fathers in their children's lives in the child welfare system. (Author abstract)
In recent years a number of programs have been initiated to provide incarcerated fathers with education and training in parenting skills. This chapter reviews research, theory and the evolving practice of such programs, including experiences of 125 inmates who have participated in parenting classes while in prison. The psychosocial and social needs of incarcerated fathers; recruitment and barriers; program goals; evaluation strategies; and a summary of core information to guide program development are presented. Common characteristics of imprisoned fathers and various prison parenting…
Although the 1998 welfare reform law supported the promotion of marriage to reduce poverty, most initiatives have dedicated resources to employment programs for mothers. This chapter describes how marriage can improve child well-being by increasing family income and facilitating relationships between fathers and their children. Lessons learned from programs such as Parents' Fair Share and the Fragile Families Initiative have demonstrated the importance of activities that encourage marital stability and paternal social and emotional involvement at an early age. However, policies must address…
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Journal Article Incarcerated fathers or men in the role of father or surrogate father in the US are approaching rates that could be considered epidemic in proportion. Children are adversely affected by the absense of fathers. This study explores the efficacy of a programmed parenting intervention for incarcerated men, derived from the Real Life Parenting Skills Program. (Author abstract modified)
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Journal Article Previous studies have revealed that marital status is an important predictor of birth outcomes, with unmarried mothers having a higher probability than married mothers of delivering low birthweight babies. However, research on the impact of different mother-father relationships among unwed parents is virtually non-existent and little is known about whether and how father involvement affects birth outcomes. In this study, we use the sample of unwed patents in the 7-cities baseline Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing data to examine the effect of parents relationship status and support…
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Community foundations can promote responsible fatherhood by publicizing the important role of fathers, developing community resources, educating fathers about parenthood, and helping men overcome work-related challenges. In addition, community organizations can advocate for public policy reform to support father-child relationships. This guide provides examples of community foundation initiatives in each of these areas and highlights additional strategies for involvement. Recommendations include: examine the impact of foundation funding policies on fathers, participate in local Father's Day…
A survey of the fifty States and the District of Columbia on fatherhood initiatives identified 31 commissions, initiatives, and programs, 3 of which were inactive. This report provides a State-by-State profile of the different initiatives. The profiles include information on the development of the program, the mission, duties and responsibilities, meetings and reporting requirements, agency contact, and activities to date. Findings from the survey indicate several States reported that administration and implementation of all, or at least part, of their fatherhood activities were contracted to…
One hundred child welfare professionals, family service workers, court officials, and fatherhood program employees participated in group discussions held throughout the United States about the engagement of fathers in services. The National Family Preservation Network sponsored the events to determine the extent of agency attention to the needs of fathers and to identify ways to support father involvement in family life. The questions focused on the skills necessary to engage fathers in programs, types of services provided to fathers, barriers to father-child relationships, the impact of…
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Journal Article Using data on 189 adolescents who have a living biological father and a resident stepfather, we examined the effects of children's relationships with both fathers on child outcomes. Interview data from mothers and stepfathers provide an assessment of two types of child outcomes, internalizing and externalizing problems. Interviews with the children themselves provide data about the child's relationships with the mother, stepfather, and biological father. Results show a significant positive association between quality of relationship with stepfathers and child outcomes. Relationships with…
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Journal Article This article explores the cultural construction of fatherhood in America, as well as the consequences of this construction as a motivator for understudying fathers--especially father love--for nearly a century in developmental and family research. It then reviews evidence from 6 categories of empirical studies showing the powerful influence of fathers' love on children's and young adults' social, emotional, and cognitive development and functioning. Much of this evidence suggests that the influence of father love on offspring's development is as great as and occasionally greater than the…
