This report summarizes the service models, activities, and preliminary outcomes of a select group of those grantees identified by JBA as part of an investigation into promising practices. Each grantee profile includes a project description, highlighted outcomes, and success stories.
The first part of the report profiles Healthy Marriage grantees:
Alabama Community Healthy Marriage Initiative
Hispanic Active Relationships Project
Lasting Relationships
Marriage Works! Ohio
Enriching Marriages in Indiana Project
Family Expectations
Healthy Marriages/Strong Families
Project… Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) is a parent involvement, school readiness program that helps parents prepare their three, four, and five year old children for success in school and beyond. This is a list of research reports that have been produced since the 2003 publication of Parents Making A Difference (a compilation of evaluation studies of the program), organized by primary focus on children, parents, home visitors or community.
Brief
This issue brief explains that the economic health and social well-being of the United States are significantly enhanced when parents have the tools they need to help their children start school prepared to learn, develop thesocial skills necessary to pay attention and work in teams, and grow up to be productive adults. It explores the physical development of the infant brain and the impact of stimulus, and the benefits of parent education programs. Findings from studies on the effectiveness of parenting programs are shared, and 10 parenting programs that are strong enough to have a possible…
Although both men and women are involved in marriage, relationship matters are often considered the woman's domain. For practitioners offering marriage and relationship education (MRE), this general belief can often make engaging men in your program a challenge. Information is relatively sparse with regard to how men can be engaged in marriage education. There is research on men and commitment, and there are relatively frequent pop culture references to men and marriage regarding infidelity or gender roles, but very few resources are available for married men to support their relationship.…
Brief
This brief shares research findings on juvenile delinquency, explores the association between juvenile delinquency and family structure, and discusses implications for marriage education programs. Statistics are reported from a 20-year longitudinal study that indicate boys who grew up without their biological father in the home were three times more likely to commit a crime that led to incarceration than children from intact families. Additional findings are discussed that found children of divorced parents are up to six times more likely to be delinquent than children from intact families…
Research in the last three decades has established a clear link between parental involvement and children's educational attainment. While most of what we know is based on mother-child interactions, increased attention has been paid to the specific influences fathers and other male caregivers have on their children's development. This paper briefly summarises the findings from the field of father involvement that also address the issue of children's literacy practices. Since the literature on father involvement and children's literacy outcomes is limited with significant knowledge gaps, the…
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…
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…
This report highlights the promising practices of the federally funded Responsible Fatherhood Demonstration Projects. It begins by explaining that the purpose of the Responsible Fatherhood Program is to work with some of the most at-risk populations, from teenage male dropouts to incarcerated men, who have had little contact with their sons and daughters to help them understand their family roles and responsibilities and acquire the skill sets needed for overcoming barriers that impede them from becoming effective and nurturing parents. It outlines services and supports that are authorized…
This brief offers recommendations from a Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) State administrator who included marriage-related initiatives in the State's TANF budget. Recommendations for implementing marriage initiatives include build collective ownership, be sure people know how to utilize or apply a good idea or services, grow champions, and document success. The following three-step approach for developing a marriage initiative is described: understand it, package it, and grow it.
