Brief
This project involved organizing and offering a series of 12 fatherhood group meetings to low-income fathers whose families are already enrolled in a local site of the parent education and family support program, and hence already receive monthly home visits. Low-income fathers who participated in at least eight hours of skill-based parenting education through fatherhood group meetings had higher participation rates in home visits and reported improved skills and knowledge of parenting, enhanced communication/relationships with children, and improved patience and understanding of age-…
Other
After a number of years working with a caseload of 20 families in a rural community, I began to notice a trend: the lack of fathers present in the homes during my work. I began to question what our district could do to encourage the involvement of more fathers. After pondering this question, all the while doing little to nothing about the issue, I received an e-mail from our Parents as Teachers state leader. The e-mail was sent to all Illinois programs stating that the national center was looking to partner with a local program for a fatherhood initiative project. I jumped on the chance to…
Other
Our nation’s military fathers and their families face an unprecedented context. Between 2001 and 2008, there was a ten-fold increase in the number of Department of Defense troops deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan (Belasco, 2009). In 2008 the Parents as Teachers National Center chose SAY--San Diego’s Healthy Start Military Family Resource Center--for its innovation in collaborating with the military to form Dads On Duty, a program uniquely tailored to young military dads with kids ages birth to 5. To date more than 150 fathers have completed Dads on Duty, which uses evidence-based practices…
Brief
In the Conscious Fathering program, happening in hospitals all over Puget Sound, men are sitting down and learning about babies. There is something magical about a room full of guys in varying states of preparation for their journey to parenthood. Maybe they will discuss the room they are painting, where they last shopped for the latest car seat, or who rates what stroller the best. Almost never will they talk about the latest fathering book they read.
Brief
When most people think about parent-child reading activities, they likely picture a mother quietly reading to her children. Very few people would envision a reading event where fathers and children are acting like donkeys, elephants, and gorillas. That is exactly what happens, however, at a Dad and Kid Reading Night sponsored by Strong Fathers-Strong Families. Dad and Kid Reading Night encourages and teaches fathers to read to their children. The books are carefully chosen both to reflect the father child dynamic and to facilitate lively activity.
Brief
This resource discusses the difference between "deadbeat" and "dead broke" fathers. The overview provides insight on how practitioners can encourage low-income fathers and how to show fathers that their presence in their children's lives is important and essential.
Other
This article discusses reasons for the lack of father involvement in child rearing, the benefits of father involvement for children's well-being, and the benefits of father engagement that are specific to child protective services and foster care. Strategies for engaging fathers are discussed in the areas of agency commitment, locating and recruiting fathers, the initial contact, and on-going contact. Characteristics of successful father engagement programs are also noted.
This brief offers practical tools to agency attorneys on their role in better engaging fathers in child welfare court cases. It includes guidance on: Identifying and locating fathers; Resolving paternity issues; Assessing whether the father can be a placement or other support to the child; Establishing agency policies that promote father engagement.
Brief
Low-skilled men, especially minorities, typically work at low levels and provide little support for their children. Conservatives blame this on government willingness to support families, which frees the fathers from responsibility, while liberals say that men are denied work by racial bias or the economy--either a lack of jobs or low wages, which depress the incentive to work. The evidence for all these theories is weak. Thus, changing program benefits or incentives is unlikely to solve the men's work problem. More promising is the idea of linking assistance with administrative requirements…
Other, Fact Sheet
Designed for judges, this bench card contains steps that judicial officers can take to help fathers participate in the child protection court process and case planning. (Author abstract modified)
