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%…
Webinar
The Office of Family Assistance, through the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse (NRFC), provided this technical assistance webinar for all responsible fatherhood practitioners, including current OFA grantees, and other interested stakeholders.
Fathers participating in fatherhood programs are often faced by a number of personal issues that act as barriers to achieving parenting, relationship, and employment goals. One of the most significant of these issues is substance abuse. This webinar shared lessons learned from the field and tips to help fatherhood practitioners…
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…
Fact Sheet, Brief
Series of one pagers designed to clarify existing federal policies that affect formerly incarcerated individuals and their families. The MythBusters cover topics critical to reentry, such as public housing, access to federal benefits, parental rights, employer incentives, and more. As the MythBusters show, some federal laws and policies are narrower than is commonly perceived, as is the case with public housing and food assistance benefits. States and localities often have broad discretion in determining how policies are applied and/or have various opt-out provisions for states (TANF and…
This tip sheet provides specific tips to improve parenting skills. It is designed as an informational handout for families in support of the companion resource for providers, Tips for Service Providers: Healthy Parenting Practices. (Author abstract)
This tip sheet is designed to support service providers in discussing the topic of healthy parenting practices with the families they serve. It is supported by the informational handout, Strong Families: Tips for Healthy Parenting. (Author abstract)
This fact sheet discusses findings from a KIDS COUNT report that highlights the ways in which parents are stretched thin working in low-paying jobs, the effects of inflexible employment on a parent’s ability to provide the emotional and physical care vital for early childhood development, and the detrimental effects of parental stress on children’s cognitive development. It then spotlights five two-generation polices to improve family mobility: home visiting programs, training health professionals to identify risk factors, streamline the process for accessing benefits, connect fathers to…
Discusses the nature of trauma, especially abuse or neglect, the effects of trauma on children and youth, and ways to help a child who has experienced trauma. Parents or foster parents who do not understand the effects of trauma may misinterpret their child’s behavior, and attempts to address troubling behavior may be ineffective or, in some cases, even harmful. By understanding trauma, parents and foster parents can help support a child’s healing, the parent-child relationship, and their family as a whole.
