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Research findings from a comprehensive search of Internet sites, bibliographies, government sources, and experts were reviewed in preparation for a three-year study about child welfare practices with noncustodial fathers. This report summarizes the literature about trends in family living arrangements, the effects of trends in non-custodial fatherhood on families within the child welfare system, the barriers to father participation in case planning, and innovative practices used to locate and engage fathers in the child welfare case process. Overall, the review found that child welfare…
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Journal Article Despite evidence that father involvement is important for child well-being, few child welfare agencies attempt to engage fathers in the lives of their children. In many cases, fathers are contacted only to provide financial support or to relinquish their parental rights. The George W. Bush administration is promoting national and state fatherhood and marriage initiatives to strengthen families and enhance child development. Although these efforts face some criticisms, the Child Welfare Institute recommends that child welfare workers identify effective fatherhood programs and actively involve…
Data was used from the 1997 Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities to investigate risk factors that are present in the lives of incarcerated parents and their children, and how these differentially relate to children's living arrangements. The final sample for the study included 6,870 fathers and 2,047 mothers who were incarcerated in State or Federal prison in 1997. Results indicate children are increasingly likely to be placed with someone other than a parent, and are particularly likely to be placed in foster or agency care, as the number of risk factors rises. The…
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Journal Article Children born out of wedlock often suffer due to infrequent and limited interaction with the noncustodial parent. To address this issue, programs have been developed at the federal and state level to improve the access of noncustodial parents (primarily fathers) to their natural children. This article describes an access and visitation program that facilitates the creation of agreements between noncustodial and custodial parents. Findings from a six month demonstration in two counties in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia are reported. In total, more than 100 noncustodial parents participated in…
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In Colorado, it is estimated that 15,500 children currently have a parent in prison. A much larger number have experienced the incarceration of a parent at some point in their lives. Serving time in prison does not mean that you have lost your right to make decisions about the care of your children or that your relationships with your children have become any less important. This manual gives parents ways to keep their family together behind the wall as well as help them to understand the importance of dealing with custody issues. (Author abstract, modified).
Researchers from demography, developmental psychology, sociology, evolutionary psychology, economics, and the public policy field have examined various aspects of the impact of father involvement on child development. This book summarizes the methodology and findings from research within each of these disciplines to provide a multidisciplinary perspective of the subject. Common themes across areas of interest include the definition of fatherhood and the dimensions of the construct; the individual and environmental variables that explain fathering; the impact of father involvement at each…
This chapter analyzes statistical data from the 1997 Child Development Supplement to the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, the 1995 National Survey of Adolescent Males (third wave), the 1998 Trends in Time Use Study, and the 1999 National Omnibus Study to explore how fathers are involved in the lives of their children. The review focuses on the amount of time that fathers spend with their children, the quality of their involvement, and the types of activities in which they participate. Results are presented for all fathers, fathers of biological children, fathers of stepchildren, and men living…
Recent research has demonstrated the importance of father-child relationships to child development. This chapter reviews the findings about the link between paternal attachment and child development, with a focus on infants. It addresses the ability of fathers to be responsive to their children, the level of interaction between fathers and their infants, and the evolution of father-infant attachments. Studies of paternal sensitivity and responsiveness indicate that most fathers are able to develop attachments with their infants, despite the fact that men spend less time than women with their…
Research about the impact of fathering on child development has prompted questions about the definition of more and less father involvement and the different ways that children are affected by varying levels of involvement. Although there are no definite answers to these questions, this chapter explores issues that should be considered when studying father involvement and its influences on child development. Topics include the identity of fathers (biological or social), the diversity of fathering contexts, conceptualizations of father involvement used by research, and the meanings of more…
This chapter proposes that child social development is influenced by the interaction between the family social system and the peer social system. Fathers have an impact on their children's peer relationships in one of three ways: the characteristics of the father-child relationship; the type of supervision and advice that the father gives to the child; and the father's support of social opportunities for the child to meet and play with peers. Children's peer relationships also can be directly and indirectly affected by their father's marital relationships. Studies have found evidence that…
