TYRO Champion Dads Program for Fatherhood Skills Improvement

Overseen By McKenna C LeClear, MA

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)

Approved in 1 Jurisdiction This treatment is already approved in other countries

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

Duration: 4-6 weeks

683 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

This impact evaluation aims to determine if the addition of 10 hours of domestic violence prevention programming is effective at improving outcomes among those program participants who are randomly assigned to the treatment group. Both study groups will receive standard TYRO Champion Dads services (the TYRO Dads and TYRO Core Communication evidence-based curricula, plus support services), but only the treatment group will be offered the additional Ray of Hope curriculum hours focused on mitigating risk factors related to domestic violence.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

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

What data supports the effectiveness of the TYRO Champion Dads Program treatment for fatherhood skills improvement?

Research on similar programs, like the SafeCare Dad to Kids program, shows that fathers who participated reported high satisfaction and improved parenting skills, suggesting that father-focused interventions can be effective in enhancing father-child interactions and parenting abilities. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

How is the TYRO Champion Dads Program treatment different from other fatherhood skills improvement treatments?

The TYRO Champion Dads Program is unique because it focuses on improving fatherhood skills through core communication techniques, which may not be the primary focus of other programs like the Caring Dads Program or 24/7 Dad® Curriculum that emphasize preventing child abuse and increasing father involvement, respectively. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

Research Team

Matt D Shepherd, PhD

Principal Investigator

Midwest Evaluation & Research

Eligibility Criteria

The TYRO Champion Dads Project Study is for fathers over the age of 18, with children up to 24 years old, who are primarily low-income Latinos. Participants must not have any open criminal cases (deferred cases are okay). The program aims to enhance parenting skills and economic stability.

Inclusion Criteria

I am 18 years old or older.

I am a father with children 24 years old or younger.

Must have no open criminal cases (can be deferred)

Exclusion Criteria

I am not a father.

I am under 18 years old.

Has an open criminal case

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive standard TYRO Champion Dads services, with the treatment group receiving an additional 10 hours of Ray of Hope curriculum

4-6 weeks

Weekly sessions

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in parenting and relationship behaviors

6 months

Long-term Follow-up

Participants' parenting attitudes are assessed 1 year after enrollment

1 year

Treatment Details

Interventions

• TYRO Champion Dads Project Study

Trial Overview This study tests educational curricula and support services designed to improve parenting, co-parenting, partner relationships, and financial management among participating fathers. It includes walk-in clinics for additional needs and a continuous improvement process.

Participant Groups

Group I: Treatment-Enhanced Services (Standard + Ray of Hope) Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Treatment group participants receive standard and enhanced services. Standard services are delivered as primary services to participants in both study groups under a shared condition, and they are: 20 hours of TYRO Dads curricula and 6 hours of Core Communication curricula. Finally, only the treatment group receives 10 hours of the Ray of Hope curriculum as an enhanced service. Optional services are available to both study groups by selecting 1-3 hours of coursework from a menu of courses in the Mini-Clinic that address a variety of needs.

Group II: Control-Standard Services Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Only standard services are delivered to participants in the control group under a shared condition with the treatment group, and they are: 20 hours of TYRO Dads curricula and 6 hours of Core Communication curricula. Optional services are available to both study groups by selecting 1-3 hours of coursework from a menu of courses that address a variety of needs.

TYRO Champion Dads Project Study is already approved in United States for the following indications:

Approved in United States as TYRO Champion Dads Program for:

• Domestic Violence Prevention
• Fatherhood Support
• Family Well-being

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Midwest Evaluation & Research

Lead Sponsor

Trials

11

Recruited

11,700+

Anthem Strong Families

Collaborator

Trials

2

Recruited

2,400+

Findings from Research

The educational program for fathers significantly improved father-infant interaction scores, particularly in caregiving aspects, suggesting that targeted education can enhance parenting skills.

While the program did not show significant changes in infant development knowledge or father-infant attachment, it indicates that hybrid educational approaches can be effective in fostering better interactions between fathers and their infants.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of a hybrid online and offline program for facilitating father-infant interactions in South Korea: a quasi-experimental study. Park, SE., Bang, KS.[2022]

Fathers who participated in either a skills preparation or birth stories intervention reported significantly higher birth satisfaction compared to those who received standard treatment, based on a study of 174 men with a 67% retention rate.

Factors such as the partner's birth experience (like having an epidural) and the father's prior family life satisfaction positively influenced birth satisfaction, highlighting the importance of preparation and managing expectations for new fathers.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Low-cost self-paced interventions increase birth satisfaction in first time fathers. Howarth, AM., Swain, NR.[2021]

The Text4Dad text messaging intervention successfully engaged fathers in home visiting programs, with Fatherhood Community Health Workers (F-CHWs) effectively enrolling fathers and finding the content acceptable for their needs.

Despite the usability of the Text4Dad platform, F-CHWs faced challenges accessing it during home visits, which contributed to a lower than expected response rate from fathers to the text messages.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Implementing a Text Messaging Intervention to Engage Fathers in Home Visiting. Lee, JY., Lee, SJ.[2023]

A one-day workshop for Health Visitors and Community Practitioners significantly improved their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding engaging fathers in the Healthy Child Programme, with these improvements lasting for at least three months after the training.

Despite the positive impact of the workshop, participants identified ongoing barriers to engaging fathers, suggesting that NHS Trusts need to enhance training and adopt a more strategic approach to father-inclusive practices.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Evaluation of a brief intervention to assist health visitors and community practitioners to engage with fathers as part of the healthy child initiative. Humphries, H., Nolan, M.[2016]

The SafeCare® Dad to Kids (Dad2K) program, designed for at-risk fathers, showed high acceptability and satisfaction among participants, indicating its feasibility for behavioral parent training.

While both intervention and comparison groups reported decreases in psychologically aggressive behaviors, the Dad2K program specifically led to significant improvements in targeted father-child interaction skills, highlighting its potential to enhance positive parenting practices.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Initial Findings from a Feasibility Trial Examining the SafeCare Dad to Kids Program with Marginalized Fathers. Self-Brown, S., Osborne, MC., Lai, BS., et al.[2019]

The Caring Dads Program in Germany, evaluated with 60 fathers and 34 mothers, showed significant improvements in paternal aggression and parenting behaviors, indicating its efficacy in reducing risks of child maltreatment.

Fathers in the program reported higher motivation for change and improvements in family relationships, with a notable portion achieving clinically significant reductions in aggression and enhanced parenting skills.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Working with Fathers to Prevent Child Abuse. A Pilot Evaluation of the Caring Dads Program in Germany]. Liel, C., Koch, M., Eickhorst, A.[2021]

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]

In a pilot study involving 50 male caregivers, those with education beyond high school were over 5 times more likely to complete the SafeCare Dad to Kids (Dad2K) program, highlighting the importance of educational background in program engagement.

Qualitative interviews with program completers revealed that fathers were motivated to participate in the Dad2K program to improve their parenting skills, suggesting that targeted engagement strategies may be needed for less-educated fathers to enhance their participation in such programs.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Exploration of Factors Predictive of At-risk Fathers' Participation in a Pilot Study of an Augmented Evidence-Based Parent Training Program: A Mixed Methods Approach. Rostad, WL., Self-Brown, S., Boyd, C., et al.[2019]

A parenting program designed for adolescent fathers, particularly those from minority backgrounds in the juvenile justice system, effectively increased their commitment and involvement with their children.

The program included therapeutic and psychoeducational interventions, and feedback from six former participants suggests it positively impacted their parenting skills and responsibilities.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

"Wanting to be a good father": experiences of adolescent fathers of Mexican descent in a teen fathers program. Parra-Cardona, JR., Wampler, RS., Sharp, EA.[2019]

The 'Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids' program aims to help overweight fathers lose weight and improve their children's health behaviors, evaluated through a community trial involving 50 overweight/obese fathers and their children over a 6-month period.

The program includes seven group sessions over 3 months, focusing on various health measures such as weight, waist circumference, and dietary intake, with the potential for significant community impact on obesity and lifestyle behaviors.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The 'Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids' community effectiveness trial: study protocol of a community-based healthy lifestyle program for fathers and their children. Morgan, PJ., Lubans, DR., Plotnikoff, RC., et al.[2022]

References

1. Korea (South) pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of a hybrid online and offline program for facilitating father-infant interactions in South Korea: a quasi-experimental study. [2022]

2. Netherlands pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Low-cost self-paced interventions increase birth satisfaction in first time fathers. [2021]

3. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Implementing a Text Messaging Intervention to Engage Fathers in Home Visiting. [2023]

4. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Evaluation of a brief intervention to assist health visitors and community practitioners to engage with fathers as part of the healthy child initiative. [2016]

5. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Initial Findings from a Feasibility Trial Examining the SafeCare Dad to Kids Program with Marginalized Fathers. [2019]

6. Germany pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Working with Fathers to Prevent Child Abuse. A Pilot Evaluation of the Caring Dads Program in Germany]. [2021]

7. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effectiveness of a 24/7 Dad® Curriculum in Improving Father Involvement: Profiles of Engagement. [2022]

8. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Exploration of Factors Predictive of At-risk Fathers' Participation in a Pilot Study of an Augmented Evidence-Based Parent Training Program: A Mixed Methods Approach. [2019]

9. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

"Wanting to be a good father": experiences of adolescent fathers of Mexican descent in a teen fathers program. [2019]

10. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The 'Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids' community effectiveness trial: study protocol of a community-based healthy lifestyle program for fathers and their children. [2022]