Research shows that children and families do better when fathers are involved. Kids exhibit better school performance, increased self-esteem and improved relationships with peers, while parents feel less stress when they support each other and co-parent. This toolkit is based on a programmatic review of fatherhood involvement efforts in early childhood programs and is a collection of the many tangible steps a WIC site can take to become more inclusive of men and dads. (Author introduction modified)
Brief
This brief from the Head Start Health Manager Descriptive Study explores family engagement through these research questions: In what ways do Head Start/Early Head Start programs support family engagement in health-related aspects of program services? What are the barriers to family engagement in health-related aspects of program services from the health manager perspective? To what extent do barriers to family engagement differ by program or health manager characteristics and the populations served? What are the implications regarding family engagement for Head Start/Early Head Start health…
Where and when during childhood and adolescence do people acquire the foundations of financial capability? The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) researched the childhood origins of financial capability and well-being to identify those roots and to find promising practices and strategies to support their development. Our new report, “Building Blocks to Help Youth Achieve Financial Capability: A New Model and Recommendations,” illuminates critical attributes, abilities, and opportunities acquired during the years spanning preschool through young adulthood that support the development…
A nationally representative sample of children, mothers, and fathers who participated in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Birth cohort study (N = 2441) was used to explore the relationship of father-child feeding and physical activity interactions with child dietary practices and weight status. Logistic multivariable regression analyses were adjusted for child, father, mother, and socio-demographic characteristics. Approximately 40% of fathers reported having a great deal of influence on their preschool child’s nutrition and about 50% reported daily involvement in preparing food for…
Brief
This brief explains the importance of incorporating father involvement in Strengthening Families programs designed to increase family strengths, enhance child development, and reduce the likelihood of child abuse and neglect. It explains strategies that programs can be encouraged to use, including employing men as staff members in varied positions and in significant roles, creating an environment that is welcoming and inclusive of all family members, consistently communicating with both fathers and mothers on all issues concerning their children – and making this policy explicit to both…
Brief
This brief describes the five protective factors that are the foundation of the Strengthening Families Approach: parental resilience, social connections, concrete support in times of need, knowledge of parenting and child development, and social and emotional competence of children. It explains the Strengthening Families Approach benefits all families building on family strengths, can be implemented through small but significant changes in everyday actions, can build on existing programs, and is grounded in research. A chart shows levers, strategies, protective factors, and results of the…
This paper calls on the United States government to lead and mobilize around a sensible and strategic global agenda for young children. It begins by explaining investing in young children globally is a primary means of achieving sustainable human, social, and economic development, all of which are vital to ensuring international peace and security. Information is then provided on: child fatalities; the success of evidence-based, results-oriented, coordinated, and effectively monitored international development assistance; U.S. funding of maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) initiatives…
This report summarizes the final findings of an evaluation of five community-based initiatives in Washington State that were intended to prevent child maltreatment and exposure to toxic stress, mitigate their effects, and improve a wide array of child and youth development outcomes. The evaluation was conducted in two phases. During the first phase (2013–2014), the evaluation team assessed the contexts in which the sites were operating, the strategies the sites used to increase their collective community capacity to address adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and the impact of their…
This executive summary highlights the findings of a study that evaluated five community-based initiatives in Washington State intended to prevent child maltreatment and exposure to toxic stress, mitigate their effects, and improve a wide array of child and youth development outcomes. The evaluation was conducted in two phases. During the first phase (2013–2014), the evaluation team assessed the contexts in which the sites were operating, the strategies the sites used to increase their collective community capacity to address adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and the impact of their…
In 2009, the RAND Corporation launched the Deployment Life Study, a longitudinal study of military families to examine family readiness. The study surveyed 2,724 families at frequent intervals through- out a complete deployment cycle—that is, before a service member deploys (sometimes months before), during the actual deployment, and after the service member returns (possibly a year or more after she or he has redeployed). It assessed outcomes over time, including the following: the quality of marital and parental relationships; the psychological, behavioral, and physical health of family…
