The birth of a child with a disability, or the discovery that a child has a disability, can have profound effects on the family. In “You are Not Alone,” Patricia McGill Smith offers the insights that she and others have gained through their own experience of having a child with a disability. In this article, we will provide additional information to support the life cycle, health, and well-being of the family when a member has a disability.It is with a great deal of humility that we are even attempting to describe what the future may hold for you and your family. On the one hand, we want…
This fact sheet discusses the characteristics of grandparent caregivers in the United States and then presents information the number and characteristics of grandparent caregivers in South Dakota. Findings indicate: there were 7 million grandparents in the United States living with their grandchildren, and 2.7 million (39%) were responsible for caring for their grandchildren; there were 11,217 South Dakota grandparents living with their grandchildren, and 5,311 (47%) were responsible for caring for their grandchildren; of grandparents responsible for their grandchildren in South Dakota, 66%…
Brief
This brief suggests ways that findings from research on parent education programs can inform fatherhood programs. It summarizes the research on two promising service delivery components (modeling and opportunities for parents to practice skills with their children), describes the two components, provides suggestions for implementing them in fatherhood programs, highlights examples from a small number of programs and curricula that include these components, and provides suggestions for overcoming implementation challenges. (Author abstract)
Brief
A two-generation approach to public policies brings together worlds that are often separated (focusing only on children or only on parents) to modify or create new policies that focus on the needs of parents and children together. Two-generation policies reflect strong research findings that the well-being of parents is a crucial ingredient in children’s social-emotional, physical, and economic well-being. And at the same time, parents’ ability to succeed in school and the workplace is substantially affected by how well their children are doing. Two-generation programs and policies are not a…
Brief
Parenting is an important job, yet its demands and responsibilities can sometimes lead to high levels of anxiety and frustration. Because parental functioning is one of the critical factors determining whether children flourish, it is important to examine stress that can jeopardize effective parenting. Very little research has examined the prevalence of parental aggravation, whether it has changed over time, or how it may vary across states. In this brief, we examine data on this measure collected from two nationally representative surveys: the National Survey of America's Families (NSAF),…
Brief
The Fatherhood Research and Practice Network (FRPN) convened a workgroup of experts in the field of fatherhood and father involvement to develop a research agenda that defines the state of the current research in this area, identifies extant gaps in this research, and generates suggestions for future research. The goal is for the workgroup's ideas to inform subsequent funding by the FRPN for evaluation and research projects that seek to enhance our collective understanding of the important role fathers play in the lives of their children and how programs and policies can strengthen this role…
Brief
The Fatherhood Research and Practice Network (FRPN) convened a workgroup of experts in the field of fatherhood and father involvement to develop a research agenda that defines the state of the current research in this area, identifies extant gaps in this research, and generates suggestions for future research. The goal is for the workgroup's ideas to inform subsequent funding by the FRPN for evaluation and research projects that seek to enhance our collective understanding of the important role fathers play in the lives of their children and how programs and policies can strengthen this role…
Other, Brief
This inaugural publication of the Family Policy Institute of Oklahoma provides a brief assessment of the status of Oklahoma's children using five different indicators representing serious challenges to their well-being: child safety, child poverty, educational success, teen births, and youth substance abuse. Findings indicate: there were over 11,000 cases of child abuse and neglect confirmed in 2013 in Oklahoma; 1 in 4 Oklahoma children lived in poverty in 2011; Oklahoma's high school graduation rate is been 72-78%; Oklahoma ranks 2nd for teen births in the United States at 47.3%; and…
This fact sheet reports preliminary findings from the newly available National Survey on Early Care and Education (NSECE) Household Survey to provide insight into how parents perceive the early care and education (ECE) arrangements available to them, how and why they search for care, and when searches result in a change in arrangement. Each household rated three types of care—center-based, relative or friend care, and family day care. Households with children under age 60 months rated relative or friend care most highly in terms of a nurturing environment, affordability, and flexibility for…
Brief
This brief uses new, nationally representative data from The National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE) —funded by the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) in the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services—to describe critical elements in the decision-making process of parents and other caregivers regarding the non-parental care of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Respondents (usually parents) in 4,340 households in which the “selected child” is age birth to 60 months were asked about the following types of care:…
