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This National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse (NRFC) Data Spotlight provides statistical information on parental incarceration to help practitioners, researchers, and policymakers consider the implications of parental incarceration for children and families. Although our focus is on incarcerated fathers, we also share some findings related to incarcerated mothers and people who are incarcerated but not parents. We present a series of data tables on various statistics related to parental incarceration and its impact for other family members, with key takeaways for each table. In…

There is a significant need for services that encourage returning fathers to rebuild and strengthen their relationships with their children and families. In this information brief, we summarize the existing literature on the impacts of incarceration on fathers and draw on the research base to identify and describe seven ways to help returning fathers overcome challenges and rebuild and strengthen relationships with their children, coparents, and spouses.

Children of incarcerated parents (COIP) are at risk for a range of negative outcomes; however, participating in a mentoring relationship can be a promising intervention for these youth. This article reports on a study that examined the impact of mentoring and mentoring program enhancements on COIP. Secondary data analyses were conducted on an archival database consisting of 70,729 matches from 216 local agencies of Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) to establish the differential effects of mentoring on COIP. A subset of 45 BBBS agencies, representing 25,252 matches, participated in a…

Children tend to fare better when fathers are involved in their lives. Numerous studies have shown fathers’ emotional and financial involvement enhances children’s social, behavioral, and academic outcomes. In 2018, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) undertook the Fatherhood, Relationships, and Marriage – Illuminating the Next Generation of Research (FRAMING Research) project to systematically identify current gaps in the knowledge base for Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education (HMRE) and RF programming. Fathers involved in the criminal justice system often face…

Most crimes committed by adolescents in the United States are linked to gang activity, which is disproportionally present in Latina/o communities. Although most gang-involved teenage fathers wish that their children would not join gangs, their parenting tends to foster gang involvement in their children. An improved understanding of fatherhood among gang-involved U.S. Latino youth can inform the development of parenting- and fatherhood-focused interventions. To foster such understanding, we conducted interviews and focus groups with purposive samples of young gang-involved Latino fathers,…

Over one-quarter of all children under 21 years of age have one of their parents living outside of their household. When this occurs, it is often the legal obligation of the noncustodial parent to provide financial support to help pay for the costs associated with raising their children. This report provides an overview of these children and their custodial parents, including their socioeconomic characteristics and the types and amount of child support received from noncustodial parents.

Divorce is a stressful process for families. One parent being incarcerated further complicates several aspects of the family relationship, such as communication, custody arrangements, child support, and relationship maintenance. This guide is part of a series aimed at helping families in which parents are separated or divorcing and who share parenting responsibilities for children.

What happens to children when their parent is released from jail or prison? The answers vary. It depends in part, on the quality of the attachment to that parent before and during incarceration.(Adalist-Estrin, 1993) Another factor is the extent of the trauma created by the parent’s offense, arrest, and imprisonment. (Johnston, 1992)

The child’s adjustment to a parent’s parole is also significantly related to the presence and quality of protective factors and support systems that were available during the incarceration period and upon release. (Gaynes, 1994, Johnston, 1993) Finally…

Research has shown that fathers returning to their families and communities after a period of incarceration often face multiple challenges, such as housing, employment, child support, and complicated family relationships (Fontaine et al, 2017, Final Implementation Findings from the Responsible Fatherhood Reentry Projects). Please join us for a discussion of ways in which fatherhood programs can help returning fathers and their families overcome these challenges. A list of helpful resources will be provided, and attendees will hear from the perspectives of a researcher, two practitioners,…

On behalf of the Administration for Children and Families’ Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Building Bridges and Bonds (B3) study partnered with Responsible Fatherhood programs and experts in the field to identify high-priority questions and emerging service approaches. Programs use a number of promising models to work with fathers, but rigorous studies have not yet shown which are effective and worth expanding or replicating.

The B3 team is rigorously evaluating three new and emerging service approaches…