Brief
"What works" in fatherhood programs? As the responsible fatherhood field continues to grow, an increasing number of programs have been put into place to improve fathers' involvement with children and families. While several studies have examined the effects of programs on outcomes for fathers and their families, results of these studies vary, as does the quality and rigor of research methods. Only rigorous evaluations of programs can provide evidence of whether or not programs have the desired effect. Fortunately, the existence of several rigorous evaluations of recent fatherhood and…
Brief
What makes for a good teen fatherhood program? The timing of fatherhood is a powerful organizer of the paternal role. Early entry into fatherhood is a non-normative event and often accelerates role transitions. Even before they become fathers, teen fathers are a particularly vulnerable group of males whose family backgrounds and life-stressors tend to differ from older men and men who do not become fathers during adolescence. For many years, teen fathers were either overlooked or blamed for their role in teen pregnancy. However, interest in designing programs to reduce teen pregnancy, and…
NRFC Quick Statistics and Research Reviews, Brief
This research brief covers the different stages of child development and highlights the impact resident fathers have on each stage of child development. This brief stresses the importance of positive father to child interactions. Resident fathers who demonstrate more sensitivity toward their children are shown to have a positive impact on the cognitive development of infants & toddlers (0-2) and early childhood (2-6) stages of development. This brief also discusses how resident fathers’ positive emotional involvement correlates to healthy socioemotional development in middle childhood…
NRFC Quick Statistics and Research Reviews, Brief
This research brief covers the different stages of child development and highlights the impact non-resident fathers have on each stage of child development. This brief shows the correlation between a father’s regular presence in a child’s life and healthy cognitive development in infants & toddlers (0-2) and early childhood (2-6). Social development and academic performance are shown to be negatively impacted by the lack of fatherhood involvement in the older childhood development stages of middle childhood (7-10), early adolescence (11-14), and late adolescence (15-18). Regular and…
NRFC Quick Statistics and Research Reviews, Brief
This fact sheet provides statistics from various years on incarcerated parents including estimated number of state and federal prisoners with minor children, by gender; percent of state and federal male prisoners with minor children; minor children with a parent in prison by race/ethnicity; and living arrangements for children with parents in state prisons. Also provided are statistics on frequency of contact (phone, mails, personal visits) with children for parents in state prisons; frequency of telephone, mail, and personal contacts with children for parents in state prisons; age…
Brief
It is widely accepted that, over recent decades, fathers' roles have changed to include more care of infants and young children. It is now normal, for example, for fathers to attend the birth of their first child, and in many areas antenatal classes include special topics or discussions for fathers. More fathers are also noticeably pushing strollers, dropping off toddlers at child care and volunteering for literacy tutoring in schools.It is not surprising then to find that health, education and welfare services are looking for ways to recruit and involve fathers, alongside mothers and other…
Brief
This brief explores what role fathers play in perpetrating or protecting their children from child neglect and abuse. Studies indicate that fathers, especially married fathers who live with their children, play an important role in protecting their children from abuse and neglect, a fact that is often overlooked by researchers, policymakers, and the media. This is not to say that fathers play no role in child abuse and neglect; research indicates that a little more than a third of maltreatment cases do involve fathers. Accordingly, this brief details the role that fathers play in protecting…
Brief
This fact sheet explains the reasons married couples sometimes have difficulty communicating, urges couples to realize that a positive attitude and a win-win mentality will help, and recommends couples take a break from a discussion if communication becomes too difficult. Ground rules for communicating a message are then discussed and include: pick the right time, begin a conversation in a positive, non-threatening way; speak for yourself; be short and to the point; avoid making assumptions; stop, pause, and listen; and move on once you are sure your message has been understood.
Brief
"What works" in programs serving incarcerated fathers and fathers involved in the criminal justice system? Between 1991 and 1999, the percentage of children with an incarcerated father increased by 58 percent, and it was estimated that 721,500 state and federal prisoners, 93 percent of whom were male, had fathered at least one child under the age of 18. When a father is incarcerated, there are repercussions not only for himself, but also for his spouse or partner, and most importantly for his children. With rising rates of incarceration, there has been an increased interest in developing…
Brief
What makes for a good teen fatherhood program? The timing of fatherhood is a powerful organizer of the paternal role. Early entry into fatherhood is a non-normative event and often accelerates role transitions. Even before they become fathers, teen fathers are a particularly vulnerable group of males whose family backgrounds and life-stressors tend to differ from older men and men who do not become fathers during adolescence. For many years, teen fathers were either overlooked or blamed for their role in teen pregnancy. However, interest in designing programs to reduce teen pregnancy, and…
