This tip card offers guidance to fatherhood practitioners who are facilitating groups. Participation in peer learning and support groups is a key ingredient of many fatherhoodprograms. When done effectively, group sessions can be the “glue” that keeps men involved in a wider program and leadsto powerful life changes for them and their families.
This fact sheet defines whole family approaches, as well as the rationale behind them. It also describes the types of services offered by whole family programs.
This fact sheet explains South Dakota allows childhood immunization exemptions based on religious belief, but is only one of 31 that do not allow philosophical exemptions. Minimum immunization requirements for entering school or an early childhood program in South Dakota are then reviewed, and research on the effectiveness of vaccinations is shared. Charts are included that illustrate South Dakota and the nation had a 93% rate of polio immunization in 2012, South Dakota trails the surrounding States in any vaccination, and that South Dakota and Wyoming are tied for the lowest percentage of…
Part of a series of fact sheets that discuss how and why the child support program provides innovative services to families across six interrelated areas to assure that parents have the tools and resources they need to support their children and be positively involved in raising them, this fact sheet focuses on family-centered innovations to improve child support outcomes. The need for family-centered child support services is explained, child support program accomplishments are shared, and the evolving child support program policy agenda is described. The collaboration of the child…
This fact sheet explores results of the 2009/2010 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (NS-CSHCN) and compares and contrasts the Maternal and Child Health Bureau’s six outcomes for South Dakota and the nation. It begins with background information on the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, the Maternal and Child Health Services Black Grant, and the six core outcomes that describe what families should expect for the service system. The six care areas are: partnering with families in shared decision-making for child’s optimal health; coordinated, ongoing, comprehensive care…
Children who grow up in single-parent families are more likely to be poor, have trouble in school, and become teen parents themselves. Additionally, children who are born to a mother who is a teenager, who hasn't finished high school, and who isn't married are nine times more likely to be poor than a child whose mother is even a few years older, is married and has at least finished high school. Thus, strengthening families through both teen pregnancy prevention (TPP) and marriage and relationship education (MRE) programs is an effort to decrease out-of-wedlock childbearing and increase the…
This factsheet explores the relationship between social support and father involvement. It reviews findings from research studies that indicate fathers who report having high levels of social support experience better psychological well-being and demonstrate more positive patterns of father involvement and coparenting. Studies suggest spousal/partner support is positively associated with fathers' well-being; high levels of program support are associated with higher reports of fathers' parenting skills; fathers who report high levels of tangible or instrumental support report better well-…
This factsheet explores the impact of stepfather involvement on child well-being. Research is cited that indicates although stepfathers are generally less involved with children than are biological fathers, they can have positive impacts on child and maternal outcomes. Studies suggest: stepfathers are generally less involved with children than are resident biological fathers; stepfathers typically show low levels of positive demeanor toward children and are less likely to express positive feelings toward or be supportive of children; stepfathers are perceived as being less successful at…
It's no surprise that most teens explore romantic relationships. Romance is the premise of many teen movies, and is apparent in their everyday life through tweeting, chat rooms, text messaging and school gossip. Relationships that occur during the teen years are an opportunity for young adults to experience romance, learn about themselves and establish expectations for future relationships. So, how can a program effectively turn a hot topic into a teachable moment? This Tip Sheet describes key characteristics of successful youth programs. (Author abstract)
Studies show that increasing numbers of teens from 1975 to 1995 felt that marriage and family life were "extremely important" to them. In 2005, most teens continued to feel favorably about marriage. In fact, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 90 percent of Americans will marry someday. Relationships as depicted in popular books and movies are new and exciting to youth. Even so, many teens have experienced divorce in the family and are pessimistic about the possibility of having a stable, two-parent household or a lifelong marriage. Relationship education (RE) services are, therefore, a…
