Fatherhood and Poverty

The number of unwed mothers has increased greatly over the past several decades, particularly in low-income communities. Of course, it follows that the number of unwed fathers has increased also. Yet most people know very little about these men, note Kathryn Edin and Timothy Nelson, Kennedy School sociologists who have focused their research on this group.

Edin, a professor of public policy and management, and Nelson, a lecturer in social policy, last year coauthored (along with Jennifer March Augustine of the University of Texas) a paper titled “Why Do Poor Men Have Children? Fertility Intentions among Low-Income Unmarried U.S. Fathers,” published in the Annals of the American Academy of Political Science. Their study features interviews with 171 men from the Philadelphia area, who speak candidly about their intention to have children, their involvement as parents, and how their children have affected them and their behavior.

“Contrary to the conventional wisdom, the disadvantaged men whose narratives formed this account typically have at least an ambivalent desire to father and perceive considerable benefits in doing so,” write the authors.

Read more by clicking the link above.

Fathers as Family and Community Resources

A recent article in American Humane's Protecting Children describes the impact of fathers in the lives of families involved with the child welfare system, as well as ways to support and promote positive father involvement. The article, "Fathers as Resources in Families Involved in the Child Welfare System," focuses on the evaluation of a model program for low-income families involved with the child welfare system. 

More than 500 families with child welfare involvement were randomly divided among three interventions: a fathers-only group, a couples group, and an information-only (control) session. The fathers and couples groups received 32 hours of group training and discussion over 16 weeks, facilitated by a clinically trained couple using the Supporting Father Involvement curriculum. Before the intervention and 2 and 11 months after the intervention, parents were assessed for mental health and well-being, quality of the couple's relationship, quality of the parent-child relationship, generational transmission of expectations and behaviors, and balance of life stresses and social supports.

Results show the interventions' success in reducing risk factors and increasing protective factors:

• Parents in the couples group showed increased father involvement and decreased personal and parenting distress compared to the control condition.
• Fathers-only participants made slightly fewer gains than the couples participants but showed significant and positive effects on father involvement.
• Children of parents who participated in one of the groups had no increases in problem behaviors, unlike children in the control condition.

In addition, agencies that hosted the fathers-only groups showed improvement in father-inclusive policies and services.

The authors note that this ongoing program is still learning how to best provide parents with the skills and supports that are needed to eradicate old patterns and improve family relationships.

Read more online at:   http://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov/index.cfm?event=website.viewPrinterFriendly&issueid=117

Research Points to New Causes of Autism

(From the Philadelphia Inquirer):  Could delayed childbearing, infertility treatment and premature birth contribute to autism? Research presented recently in Philadelphia suggests the answer is yes. The International Meeting for Autism Research, attended by more than 1,700 scientists and advocates at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, offered provocative findings from studies of large population groups. Such epidemiological research can uncover risk factors that are too subtle to detect in small groups or individuals.

Read more online at:  http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/20100521_Research_points_to_new_causes_of_autism.html

Study: Building Strong Families Evaluation Suggests Stronger Approach is Needed

(FROM HHS):  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today released findings from a study assessing the effectiveness of programs designed to help low-income unmarried parents build and sustain healthy relationships in order to provide their children with stable family lives and the support and involvement of both parents. 

In the Building Strong Families initiative, programs provided relationship and marriage education, case management, and referrals to other services.  Seven of the eight programs evaluated in the initiative failed to yield better outcomes for participants than for a control group that did not have access to the program.  The study measured the living arrangements, relationship status, relationship quality, extent of father involvement with his child, domestic violence and economic well-being of approximately five thousand couples who were randomly assigned to either a control group or a group that had access to a Building Strong Families program.
 
One program did show positive benefits in relationship quality and father involvement for participants compared to a control group.  Furthermore, some benefits appeared among subgroups, including African American couples, couples with better relationship quality at the baseline and couples with low education levels.  Participants in one other program experienced an increase in violence between partners, as well as more break-ups and a decrease in support and affection from their partners. The program subsequently modified several procedures to prevent domestic violence and increase safety.
This report's findings serve to reinforce the need for a more comprehensive approach like the one proposed in the President’s pending Fatherhood, Marriage and Families Innovation Fund.

“These findings are very timely as Congress considers the more comprehensive Fatherhood, Marriage and Families Innovation Fund, proposed in the President’s 2011 budget,” said Carmen R. Nazario, HHS’ assistant secretary for children and families.  “The results of this study show that it is possible to positively influence and strengthen families with support programs, but also suggest that the current approach isn’t adequate.  "Couples often face several compounding challenges.  A broader effort will provide the comprehensive support that parents and couples need to succeed in their relationships as well as in their roles as workers, providers, and engaged parents. Such efforts should be tailored to individual circumstances and extend to include effective mental health resources and services to address domestic violence. That is the approach reflected in the President’s proposed Fatherhood, Marriage and Families Innovation Fund.”
 
The Fund, proposed in the President’s 2011 budget, would focus on comprehensive responsible fatherhood programs, including those with relationship and marriage components.  The current Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood program, through which the Building Strong Families programs were funded, would be redirected to this more comprehensive effort. 
 
“Active and engaged parents are critically important to the healthy development of children” said Assistant Secretary Nazario. “Children raised with involved, supportive fathers are more likely to succeed in school and are less likely to abuse drugs or alcohol or to become parents in their teen years.  The President is committed to helping children reach their full potential by supporting parents in their critical role, working to reduce domestic violence, and promoting healthy relationships and safe and secure households.  Comprehensive responsible fatherhood programs, many with healthy marriage components, will be a major focus of the new Innovation Fund proposed by the President.
 
For the report on Building Strong Families, mothers and fathers were interviewed about 15 months after they volunteered for the program.  The status of these couples and the well-being of their children will be measured again 36 months after they signed up for the program.  The longer-term results are expected in 2012.
 
The full report “Strengthening Unmarried Parents’ Relationships: The Early Impacts of Building Strong Families,” along with a report on implementation of the programs, is available at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/strengthen/build_fam/index.html

CDC Announces New Manual: "Evaluation for Improvement: A Seven-Step Empowerment Evaluation Approach"

This manual is designed to help violence prevention organizations hire an empowerment evaluator who will assist them in building their evaluation capacity through a learn-by-doing process of evaluating their own strategies. It is for state and local leaders and staff members of organizations, coalitions, government agencies, and/or partnerships working to prevent violence. Some parts of the manual may also be useful to empowerment evaluators who work with these organizations. View, download or print at:  http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pub/evaluation_improvement.html

Lack of Sleep May Lead to Depression in Adolescents

Sleep is an essential part of everyone's life. It helps us function and go about our daily lives and keeps our emotional well-being in check. As expected, the younger we are the more sleep we need. Parents make the decision on when kids get to go to bed and basically control their sleep schedule. If it was up to kids, they would stay up all night watching cartoons and eating ice cream because they don't realize what lack of sleep does to them. Therefore, it is up to parents to make sure that kids get the right about of sleep to help them live healthier lifestyles and mental well being.

A study in the January issue of SLEEP journal showed that kids who went to bed later at a young age had a higher chance of depression and suicide. An adolescent with a parental set bedtime of 12 midnight and later had 24% higher chance of being depressed and considering suicide. The number of hours of sleep a night that an adolescent gets also has an effect on their depression and suicide rates. Adolescents who got five or less hours of sleep a night were 71% more likely to show signs of depression and 48% more likely to think of suicide than those who got 5 or more hours a night. James E. Gangwisch, PhD, assistant professor at Columbia University Medical center uses these results as more proof that short sleep duration plays an important role in the etiology of depression.

Detailed results of these sleep studies on adolescents can be found on the American Academy of Sleep Medicine website.

Childhood Exposure to Tobacco Smoke

Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health recently released a statement regarding tobacco smoke in the home and it's effect on children. Children who were exposed to tobacco smoke early in their life are more likely to get emphysema and their lungs at that age can't fully recover from the smoke inhalation. The study showed that the more cigarette smokers in the household, the more emphysema-like lung pixels appeared in the scan. An average of 20% scan pixels were emphysema like for those who lived with two or more smokers as a child, compared to 18% for those who lived with one regular smoker, and 17% for those who said that they did not live with a regular inside smoker as a child. Researchers are able to tell the difference between the lungs on the CT scans from being exposed to smoke as a child and those who were not exposed to smoke as a child. Air flow obstruction and anatomic damage to lungs from smoke inhalation as a child can not be reversed. Once they are exposed to it, their lungs become weaker and their chances of emphysema are higher. Although some effects of tobacco smoke are short term, through these studies we are also able to tell that they are long term as well. According to Gina Lovasi, assistant professor of epidemiology at Columbia's Mailman School of Public Health, combined emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are projected to be the third leading cause of death by 2020.

Child Care and Obesity

Obesity is a problem in America that most likely everyone is familiar with. The reason for this epidemic is mainly two things; lack of physical activity and bad food choices. With the growing number of video games and reality TV, kids are going to choose to play those instead of going outside and being active. And with the rise of McDonald's and Burger King on almost every corner of every street, it's no wonder that kids are forgoing vegetables for chicken nuggets. What parents don't realize is that kids aren't going to change themselves. They grew up like this and fast food and video games at an excess amount is the norm to them. Playing a sport or going outside and being active is optional and not a necessary part of their lives, according to children. They don't know the dangers that can arise from lack of physical activity and bad food choices. Therefore it is up to the parents to guide kids in the right direction. Teaching your kids the healthy lifestyle can save their lives in the long run. There are many useful tips for parents online about how to get your child to live a more physical lifestyle. Schools are cracking down and eliminating vending machines from their cafeterias. Some schools are going organic and will only sell healthy items on the menu. Gym class is also mandatory for every student. However, the extent of physical exercise in gym class is low, so kids are encouraged to include more physical activity in their day.

Studies were done to show how much physical activity kids get each day and also the eating habits of kids were observed as well. Results of these studies can be seen here.

Child Abuse Drops Drastically in the US

A massive new federal study has shown a decrease in the number of incidents of serious child abuse, especially sexual abuse. Research shows that 553,000 children suffer from child abuse in 2005, which is down 26 percent from the 743,200 in 1993. Experts explained these findings by stating that the crackdown and awareness of child abuse is becoming more open in society. People aren't as afraid to say something and talk about abuse or get help for their problem.

The study was able to take off on the fact that over 10,000 "sentinels", such as child social workers, teachers, police officers and day care workers reported less abuse than before. The number of sexually abused children decreased 38 percent, the number of physically abused children decreased 15 percent, and the number of emotionally abused children fell 27 percent.
Experts try to explain this substantial decrease with a growing concern and public intolerance for child abuse. More people are less afraid to come forward if it is their family or someone they know. There has also been an increase in the number of programs and support lines for abusive parents and potential abusers.

The trend called the "troop surge" also led to this decline in abuse. Violent acts by parents are more punishable by the law and jail time is likely for any potential abusers. A greatly expanded use of medication has also helped in the decline of abuse. More and more parents are able to control their anger that otherwise would have been taken out on the child. With these medications being given more leniently, a growing number of parents are able to handle their problems in a calmer way and therefore leading to less physical and emotional strain.

Paternal Involvement and the Effect on Children

New research about a father's role in a child's life has surfaced with interesting results regarding the differences between paternal and maternal nurturing. A father plays an important part in their child's life and there is a link between father involvement and child-father attachment. Sometimes a child can feel closer to their father than their mother. Research studies show that self-asserting fathering and compensatory fathering are leading factors in these situations.

A study involving 236 families with children in kindergarten was done to examine the effects of parenting relations and attachment. A child responds more when paternal nurturing is involved with distress rather than the act of just being a warm, loving parent. When a father helps his child in a time of need, it will have more of an effect on the child than the father's overall warmth and comforting, which is virtually unrelated to any attachment issues.

Although less responsive parenting in both mothers and fathers is related to insecure attachment, parenting mechanisms associated with insecure attachment differed. Low paternal responsiveness is linked to insecure-avoidant attachment, and low maternal responsiveness is linked to insecure-ambivalent attachment. To understand why these differences occur, further research and studies are needed to examine the effects of paternal responsiveness.

With these studies, we see how a father plays an important part in a child's life in a more specific way and both parents are equally important in raising a child.

Interactive Web Feature Explains the Science of Early Child Development

The Center for the Developing Child at Harvard University recently added a new interactive feature to their Web site that explains core concepts in the science of early childhood development through images and text. It discusses how brains are built over time; the interaction of genes and experience; the damage caused by chronic, unrelenting adversity (“toxic stress”); and why early intervention matters to all of us.

It is available at:  http://developingchild.harvard.edu/library/multimedia/interactive_features/coreconcepts/

New Resources

America's Families and Living Arrangements: 2007


OJJDP Strategic Planning Tool

Social Science Rising: A Tale of Evidence Shaping Public Policy

The Team Around The Child (TAC) and the Lead Professional: A Guide for Managers

The Team Around The Child (TAC) and the Lead Professional: A Guide for Practitioners

The Forgotten Fifth: Child Poverty in Rural America

Evidence-Based and Evidence-Informed Programs: Prevention Program Descriptions Classified by CBCAP Evidence-Based and Evidence-Informed Categories

Factors Influencing Child maltreatment Among Families Leaving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families

Policy and System Change: Creating a Successful Action Plan

Re-forming the Social Service Business Partnership: Setting out the Vision and Strategies for Reform

Financing and Budgeting Strategies

Setting a Community Agenda

Strategies to Achieve Results

The Data Difference: The Data User's Guide: Using Data for Better Decisions

Teens and Sexting | Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project

As texting has become a centerpiece in teen social life, parents, educators and advocates have grown increasingly concerned about the role of cell phones in the sexual lives of teens and young adults. A new survey from the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project found that 4% of cell-owning teens ages 12-17 say they have sent sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude images or videos of themselves to someone else via text messaging, a practice also known as “sexting”; 15% say they have received such images of someone they know via text message.

Read more from Pew online at: http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2009/Teens-and-Sexting.aspx

New Resources

Children and Families First: A Chronicle of the Alameda County Social Services Agency Foster Care System

Understanding How Trauma Impacts Children in Child Welfare and What to Do About It [Presentation Slides]

Challenges for Mothers with HIV [Fall 2009 of The Source]

Engaging Dads: The National QIC on Non-Resident Fathers and the Child Welfare System

The Investigative Windows of Opportunity: The Vital Link to Corroboration in Child Sexual Abuse Cases

Hawaii's Differential Response System: An Interview With John Walters

Information Packet: Rural Issues in Child Welfare

Promoting Physical Health (Chapter 2 of Healthy Beginnings, Healthy Futures: A Judge's Guide)

Addressing Early Mental Health and Developmental Needs (Chapter 3 of Healthy Beginnings, Healthy Futures: A Judge's Guide) 

Children on the Homefront: The Experience of Children From Military Families


Views from the Home Front: The Experience of Children from Military Families

Pop's Culture: A National Survey of Dads' Attitudes on Fathering

Developing Models for Workforce Recruitment and Retention

Spotlight on Child Welfare Leadership: Strengthening the Workforce: Workforce Institute Launches With Ambitious Program

Follow-up evaluation of Head Start program finds that most gains in cognitive development fade out by first grade

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released a follow-up to a 2005 study assessing gains made by approximately five thousand children randomly assigned to Head Start programs compared to children who did not attend Head Start programs. The 2005 study found that children made some progress on cognitive measures, particularly in pre-literacy skills. Kindergarten and first grade follow-up assessments, however, found that Head Start children's gains in these areas faded out, with the exception of small gains in vocabulary. These findings are particularly noteworthy based on the high profile that the Head Start program has in the Obama administration's efforts to promote early learning, particularly with regards to vulnerable children.

Read the news release at the Department of Health and Human Services website:
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/01/20100113a.html

Read the excutive summary at the Department of Health and Human Services website:
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hs/impact_study/reports/impact_study/executive_summary_final.pdf

What Works for Parent Involvement Programs for Children and Adolescents

Parents can play an important role in helping their children acquire or strengthen the behaviors and skills that promote physical and mental health and overall well-being. Two new Child Trends fact sheets synthesize the findings from evaluations of parent involvement programs for children ages 6-11 and adolescents ages 12-17. The authors identify the components and strategies associated with successful programs. What Works for Parent Involvement Programs for Children and What Works for Parent Involvement Programs for Adolescents.

Child Welfare Information Gateway Updates

In advance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, several prevention-related areas of the Information Gateway website have been enhanced. In addition to updated resources throughout the Preventing Child Abuse & Neglect section, some of the major improvements you will notice on the website include:

Reorganized and updated content in the Evaluating Prevention Programs
http://www.childwelfare.gov/preventing/evaluating/

An updated Early Childhood and Child Care Services
http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/service_array/earlychildhood/

An updated Respite Care Services
http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/service_array/respite/

Examining the Impact of Unemployment on Children and Youth

One in seven American children has an unemployed parent as a result of the current recession, according to a new brief from First Focus Campaign for Children. The brief finds that children are twice as likely to be affected by unemployment as adults. Families of the Recession: Unemployed Parents & Their Children also finds that children with an unemployed parent are more likely to experience homelessness and child abuse, and to drop out of high school or college. Among the recommendations in the report are proposals to implement a state education fund of at least $23 billion to address educational needs of children and appropriate $1.5 billion through the Workforce Investment Act youth program to support year-round youth employment opportunities.

Download the report from the Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity at:  http://www.spotlightonpoverty.org/consequences_of_poverty.aspx

Kids Count Survey Shows Impact of Economy

The impact of the down economy can been seen in the latest “Iowa Kids Count” survey that measures the well-being of Iowa kids based on 18 factors. The latest survey covers 2008, and Michael Crawford of the Child and Family Policy Center says most economic factors were down.

He says the unemployment rate, and food assistance rate have both increased more than 50-percent since 2000 and there are now one in seven childrend in Iowa living in poverty and one in three schoolchildren are now eligible for free and reduced priced lunches.

Read more online at:  http://www.radioiowa.com/2010/01/20/kids-count-survey-shows-impact-of-economy-2/

Who Are America's Poor Children?

More than 13 million American children live in families with incomes below the federal poverty level, which is $22,050 a year for a family of four. The number of children living in poverty increased by 21 percent between 2000 and 2008. There are 2.5 million more children living in poverty today than in 2000.

Not only are these numbers troubling, the official poverty measure tells only part of the story. Research consistently shows that, on average, families need an income of about twice the federal poverty level to make ends meet.  Children living in families with incomes below this level – for 2009, $44,100 for a family of four – are referred to as low income. Forty-one percent of the nation’s children – more than 29 million in 2008 – live in low-income families.

Download this report from:  http://www.nccp.org/publications/pub_912.html?utm_source=NCCP+Update&utm_campaign=4e6990bfb8-Update_1_20_2010&utm_medium=email