Fatherhood Program Services for Improved Fatherhood Relationships

Overseen By Ted C Jurkiewicz, PhD

Age: 18+

Sex: Male

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Midwest Evaluation & Research

Disqualifiers: Minor, Not a father, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 13

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to help fathers improve relationships with their children and partners. It focuses on reducing domestic violence and enhancing financial stability through job training and support. Participants will engage in various programs, including classes on fatherhood, healthy relationships, and money management. Fathers or father figures residing in Franklin County, Ohio, are well-suited for this trial. As an unphased trial, it offers unique support programs designed to enhance family dynamics and personal growth.

Do I need to stop taking my current medications to join the trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that this program is safe for participants?

Research shows that the Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Program helps fathers enhance their relationships with children and partners. As this program is not a medical treatment, it poses no risk of side effects or negative reactions typical of drug trials. Instead, it provides educational sessions and support services.

Participants typically receive guidance on communication, money management, and job preparation. Studies of similar programs have demonstrated improved family relationships and financial stability. Since the program involves attending classes and receiving coaching, no evidence suggests risks to participants. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the Fatherhood Program Services for Improved Fatherhood Relationships because it takes a comprehensive approach to strengthen family dynamics. Unlike traditional support programs that might focus solely on job readiness or parenting skills, this program uniquely combines 16 hours of Father Factor curricula with additional elements like The New Playbook and Money Smart curricula. This multi-faceted strategy not only addresses relationship building but also includes ongoing job readiness and post-employment support, offering a holistic framework to enhance both personal and professional aspects of fatherhood. By integrating these diverse components, the program aims to improve father-child relationships and overall family stability, potentially leading to more sustainable positive outcomes.

What evidence suggests that the Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Program is effective for improving fatherhood relationships?

Research has shown that Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood (HMRF) programs positively impact co-parenting and financial stability. In this trial, participants will engage in 16 hours of Father Factor curricula, 4 hours of The New Playbook curricula, and 4 hours of Money Smart curricula over five weeks. Studies have found that participants in these programs often secure better jobs and earn higher incomes. These programs also teach financial skills, helping fathers manage their money more effectively. Additionally, HMRF programs are linked to improved child support arrangements and payments, benefiting children and families. Overall, these programs aim to strengthen the bond between fathers and their children and reduce domestic violence in families. ^{1 2 6 7 8}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Matt D Shepherd, PhD

Principal Investigator

Midwest Evaluation & Research

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for adult fathers or father figures over the age of 18 living in Franklin County, Ohio. It aims to support them in strengthening relationships with their children and partners, reducing domestic violence, improving job stability, and overcoming personal challenges through tailored services.

Inclusion Criteria

Father/father figure

Reside in Franklin County, Ohio

Exclusion Criteria

Reside outside of Franklin County, Ohio

I am under 18 years old.

Not a father/father figure

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Program Enrollment

Participants enroll in the All in Dads! program, which includes educational services and employment support

5 weeks

1 visit (in-person) at enrollment

Program Completion

Participants complete the core curricula and receive ongoing job readiness and post-employment support

5 weeks

Multiple sessions (in-person and virtual)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in parenting and financial behaviors 12 months after enrollment

12 months

Data collection at 12 months post-enrollment

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Program

Trial Overview

The study tests a program offering comprehensive services to fathers. These include relationship counseling, domestic violence prevention strategies, career development assistance, intensive case management, individual coaching and family development programs.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Primary Services Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants receive 16 hours of Father Factor curricula, 4 hours of The New Playbook curricula, 4 hours of Money Smart curricula over the course of five weeks. Participants also receive on-going job readiness support and post-employment support.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Midwest Evaluation & Research

Lead Sponsor

Trials

11

Recruited

11,700+

Action for Children

Collaborator

Trials

1

Recruited

750+

Published Research Related to This Trial

The 'Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids' program led to significant weight loss in fathers, with an average loss of 7.6 kg over 6 months, compared to no weight change in the control group, indicating its efficacy in promoting weight management.

The program also improved various health metrics in fathers, such as waist circumference, BMI, blood pressure, and physical activity, while positively influencing children's physical activity and dietary habits, highlighting the program's role in fostering healthier family dynamics.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The 'Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids' randomized controlled trial: efficacy of a healthy lifestyle program for overweight fathers and their children. Morgan, PJ., Lubans, DR., Callister, R., et al.[2022]

The study involved 686 low-income fathers participating in a responsible fatherhood program, highlighting the importance of understanding their views on family violence to improve child and family outcomes.

By identifying risk and protective factors related to fathers' approval of family violence, the research aims to inform programs that promote responsible fatherhood and healthy relationships, ultimately preventing intimate partner violence.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Risk and Protective Factors for Family Violence among Low-Income Fathers: Implications for Violence Prevention and Fatherhood Programs. Hayward, RA., Honegger, L., Hammock, AC.[2019]

Substance use treatment programs often overlook the parenting status of men, despite evidence that programs focusing on gender and motherhood improve treatment outcomes for women.

The paper presents pilot outcomes from a fatherhood-focused intervention in a residential treatment program, suggesting that integrating parenting components could enhance treatment effectiveness and positively impact child welfare.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Where's Dad? The Importance of Integrating Fatherhood and Parenting Programming into Substance Use Treatment for Men. Stover, CS., Carlson, M., Patel, S., et al.[2020]

The Bringing Baby Home program significantly increased father involvement in parenting tasks among 136 pregnant couples, as measured by self-reports after the intervention.

Fathers who participated in the program also reported higher satisfaction with parenting responsibilities and felt more appreciated by their wives, leading to greater overall satisfaction in the division of parenting labor for both partners.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Father's Involvement When Bringing Baby Home: Efficacy Testing of a Couple-Focused Transition to Parenthood Intervention for Promoting Father Involvement. Shapiro, AF., Gottman, JM., Fink, BC.[2022]

The Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood initiative has successfully provided relationship education and fatherhood programs to over 2 million individuals in the U.S. over the past two decades.

Recent randomized controlled trials conducted as part of this initiative aim to evaluate the effectiveness of these community-based programs, highlighting the integration of program evaluation with family science.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Introduction to special section: Federally funded, community-based healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood program impact studies. Rhoades, GK., Doss, BD., Carlson, RG.[2022]

Current early parenting programs primarily target mothers, which may limit the involvement of fathers in family support initiatives.

The paper highlights barriers to father involvement in these programs and suggests that insights from European and international fatherhood research can help create more inclusive strategies to engage fathers effectively.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Fathers in Early Parenting Programs. Impulses from the European and International Fatherhood Research]. Ahnert, L.[2022]

The TRUE Dads program, which involved 1,042 co-parenting teams in a series of workshops, led to significant improvements in fathers' mental health, communication, and employment status compared to a control group.

The intervention demonstrated that enhancing relationship quality between co-parents and reducing personal distress can positively impact parenting and children's behavior, suggesting that combining fatherhood support with relationship and employment programs may be more effective for low-income families.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

TRUE Dads: The impact of a couples-based fatherhood intervention on family relationships, child outcomes, and economic self-sufficiency. Cowan, PA., Cowan, CP., Gillette, PF.[2022]

The fatherhood training program by REACHUP, Inc. showed significant improvements in participants' self-awareness, fathering skills, and relationship skills, with pretest scores averaging 8.90 and posttest scores averaging 16.42 out of 22, indicating a strong positive impact over five years.

Attendance in the program nearly doubled from 55 participants in 2013 to 97 in 2017, highlighting a growing recognition of the importance of male involvement in parenting, with benefits extending to non-biological fathers like grandfathers and uncles.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effectiveness of a 24/7 Dad® Curriculum in Improving Father Involvement: Profiles of Engagement. Wilson, RE., Obure, R., Omokaro, P., et al.[2022]

The SAFE® program significantly improved secure attachment between infants and their fathers, with 84.6% of infants in the SAFE group securely attached compared to 65.8% in the control group, based on a year-long randomized control trial.

While the program effectively enhanced father-infant attachment, it did not show a significant difference in secure attachment between mothers and infants, indicating a targeted impact on father involvement.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

*The efficacy of the attachment-based SAFE® prevention program: a randomized control trial including mothers and fathers. Walter, I., Landers, S., Quehenberger, J., et al.[2020]

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