More than 40 percent of children in the United States are born to parents who had their first child when they were young (under age 25). Many of these young parents work and participate in education to advance their career prospects and improve their families’ economic security. Managing those responsibilities is challenging, and parents may need support to succeed. In this report, we analyze data on young parents (people who had their first child between the ages 16 to 24) from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997. We investigate the patterns of work and education young parents…
Brief
In fiscal year 2018, noncustodial parents were obligated to pay nearly $33.6 billion in current child support on behalf of the 15 million children served by the Title IV-D child support program. One-third of that, or $11 billion, was not collected. Unemployment is the leading reason for non-payment of child support by noncustodial parents. This brief will explore the opportunities at the state and federal levels to provide employment services to noncustodial parents and increase child support payments in the process.
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Journal Article This editorial shares lessons learned from providing a parenting intervention, employment support, an internship, case management, and behavioral health services to young fathers in a community-based program, FatherWorks (an adaptation of Supporting Father Involvement), designed to reduce unintended pregnancies. These lessons were identified through monthly team meetings over the course of a six-year grant from the Personal Responsibility Education Innovative Strategies Program of the Family and Youth Services Bureau. (Author abstract modified)
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In August 2015, the HHS Office of Adolescent Health (OAH) awarded the New Hampshire Department of Education a multi-year Pregnancy Assistance Fund (PAF) Program grant to support teen fathers and their families. The E3 Teen Fatherhood Program aims to increase the likelihood that teen fathers will develop skills and knowledge to lead successful lives and to fully engage in the parenting of their child(ren). To this end, the E3 program approach is to improve education, employment, and family engagement for teen fathers and to build a sustainable network of stakeholders and partners to serve the…
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Journal Article The entry into fatherhood is a major life course transition involving the acquisition of new adult roles and responsibilities. This transition is rarely planned for young fathers, and may involve a range of challenges, not least their capacity to provide materially and financially for their child. Drawing on a Qualitative Longitudinal study of young fathers in the UK, this article charts their very different pathways through education, training and employment, showing how these are shaped by a constellation of life circumstances. The implications for policy are considered in the light of a…
Brief
Over the last few decades, the United States has experienced a dramatic decline in employment opportunities for unskilled men. This trend doesn't just represent an economic problem; it also represents a threat to the well-being of children. Men who are experiencing financial hardships or problems with employment often have trouble being responsible fathers. This appears to be especially true of young fathers and nonresident fathers (i.e., those living apart from their children), who are more likely to have low levels of education and job experience, to be in poor health, to have a history…
Men who are experiencing financial hardships or problems with employment often encounterdifficulties with becoming responsible fathers (Kotloff, 2005). In the last few decades, the United States has experienced a decline in the availability of employment opportunities for unskilled males, yet few policies or programs are aimed at helping such men support their families (Bronte-Tinkew, Bowie, & Moore, 2007) Edin & Nelson, 2001; Kasarda, 1989; Wilson, 1996). Although all fathers may face difficulties with financial hardship and employment problems, young fathers and nonresident…
The ability of young people to forge and sustain healthy relationships can affect almost every aspect of their lives--school and work success, physical and mental health, and the overall health and well-being of their own children. Helping young people thrive and overcome barriers to economic and personal success requires more than ensuring they complete their secondary education and workforce development. Providing youth with the necessary skills to form and sustain healthy intimate relationships is also an essential part of their future success. (Author abstract)
Until communities offer multiple pathways to connect with ladders of opportunity, many young families headed by out-of-school and out-of-work (OSOW) youth will be unable to achieve financial independence. To break the cycle of poverty, many human service organizations use two-generation approaches with "young families" (that is, families with children in which the parent is an OSOW young person ages 15-24 years). One hallmark of these two-generation approaches is the use of strategies that address the developmental needs of the young parents, their children, and the families as a whole. The…
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Journal Article This paper uses national longitudinal data and several new empirical strategies to examine the consequences of teenage fatherhood. The key contribution is to compare economic outcomes of young fathers to young men whose partners experienced a miscarriage rather than a live birth. The results suggest that teenage fatherhood decreases years of schooling and the likelihood of receiving a high school diploma and increases general educational development receipt. Teenage fatherhood also appears to increase early marriage and cohabitation, and has mixed short-term effects on several labor market…
