This report documents key socio-economic impacts families of incarcerated persons. This resource also follows research on the socio-economic status of those who are incarcerated. The goal of the report is to continue to contribute to growing research and resources that benefit those experiencing incarceration and their families as well as organizations that work with them.
Over the years, the Center for Family Policy and Practice has consistently reached out to and worked with domestic violence advocates and listened to low-income women of color who are victims and survivors. Their knowledge and experience have helped guide and inform our work since the agency was founded in 1995.
Our work focuses on low-income communities and individuals who experience poverty as a chronic condition in their lives. This paper addresses the complex needs that domestic violence victims who live in impoverished communities often face, not the economic deprivation that…
Most state child support agencies have responded to the increases in teen and nonmarital births with the traditional offer of paternity establishment and child support enforcement services after the birth of the child. The Child Support Division of the Texas Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has taken the innovative step of developing a number of educational and outreach efforts that reach youth and young adults before a pregnancy occurs.The leading example of the OAG’s efforts is the Parenting and Paternity Awareness (p.a.p.a.)Curriculum; p.a.p.a. is a school-based curriculum that sends a…
The vast majority of individuals who are in U.S. jails and prisons will eventually return to the community. Criminal justice policymakers and practitioners everywhere have made it a priority to ensure these individuals, returning in large numbers each year, do not commit new crimes following their release. As part of these efforts, state and local government officials have focused on the need for people released from prison and jail to have jobs, seeing employment as critical to successful reentry. Indeed, incarcerated individuals that have been asked about their post-release plans…
Being a father in this era of changing family structures and converging gender roles means more than bringing home a paycheck or delivering punishment to a misbehaving child. A new survey by the Pew Research Center finds that Americans expect dad to be more of a moral teacher and emotional comforter than a breadwinner or disciplinarian. About six-in-ten Americans (58%) say it is "extremely important" for a father to provide values and morals to his children, the top ranked paternal role of the four tested in the survey. Roughly half say it is extremely important for a dad to provide emotional…
Unpublished Paper
Father involvement appears to be a significant factor in the success of African American children, resulting in positive psychosocial, behavioral, cognitive, and academic achievement outcomes beginning in toddlerhood and continuing through late adolescence. The present study assessed how involvement of African American fathers influences their adult children's adjustment ability and academic achievement in college and graduate school. Over 100 participants, aged 18-34, who self-identified as African American, were raised with an African American biological father or non-biological father…
The Fathers & Fathering in Contemporary Contexts 2012 research conference featured sessions on a range of topics, including resident and nonresident fathers, co-parenting, father involvement and well-being, and diverse contexts providing much needed insights into fathers and the roles they play in families. The executive report summarizes the goals of the conference, describes key findings from the sessions, and outlines directions for future research. (Author abstract modified)
The Fathers & Fathering in Contemporary Contexts 2012 research conference featured sessions on a range of topics, including resident and nonresident fathers, co-parenting, father involvement and well-being, and diverse contexts providing much needed insights into fathers and the roles they play in families. Key findings and implications taken from the conference are available in the summary. (Author abstract modified)
This scan was requested by the Healthy Child Development Section of the Public Health Agency of Canada in response to anecdotal comments made at meetings and in communities which suggested that there is a growing grassroots effort across the country to create and implement strategies that support Aboriginal fathers? involvement with their children. The results of 2 months of intensive search did not suggest a landscape richly populated with Aboriginal father support programs. There are large gaps, and the distribution of programs appears to be uneven, with British Columbia, Saskatchewan and…
This report summarizes the work of the Center's prior studies and takes stock of how far fathers have come in adopting a more active and engaged family role. It concludes with recommendations for both employers and for fathers based on what the researchers learned and a "call to action." catalyzing a conversation amongst the half of parents who have too often been silent on how they are coping with integrating their work and family lives. (Author abstract modified)
