A new report by Child Trends indicates that there are an increasing number of programs that work with fathers and specifically focus on improving fathers’ involvement with children and families. A National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse brief takes a closer look at fatherhood programs and examines experimental evaluations of fatherhood and parenting programs to identify ten promising practices.
10 Promising Practices of Fatherhood Programs
-Teaching methods and materials that are culturally appropriate for fathers being served.
-Staff members who believe in the program and have relevant training and coaching.
-A high staff-participant ratio.
-One-on-one relationships between staff and participants.
-Clear, specific program goals.
-Theory-based approaches that have influenced parenting behaviors in other contexts.
-Varied teaching methods that focus on fathers as individuals.
-Sufficient time to complete important core program activities.
-Incentives to engage fathers and families.
-Curricula replicated with fidelity.
-A more detailed report provides additional information about the evaluated fatherhood programs.
A detailed report provides additional information about the evaluated fatherhood programs. For further information visit the National Fatherhood Initiative website or contact one of the fatherhood projects supported by the Children’s Trust Fund in Missouri:
– BraveHearts Program For Dads, Clay and Platte County
– Fathers’ Support Center, St. Louis
– Parenting Life Skills Center, Springfield
