Strong Fathers, Stronger Families Program for Fatherhood

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: Unknown

944 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

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 Strong Fathers, Stronger Families Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Program treatment?

Research shows that programs involving fathers in family interventions can improve relationships between parents and enhance father involvement, which can lead to better outcomes for children and families. Studies have found that father-inclusive interventions can positively impact maternal, paternal, and couple's relationship outcomes, suggesting that engaging fathers in such programs is beneficial. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is the Strong Fathers, Stronger Families Program safe for participants?

The available research does not provide specific safety data for the Strong Fathers, Stronger Families Program, but similar fatherhood programs have been widely implemented without reported safety concerns. ^{4 6 7 8 9}

How does the Strong Fathers, Stronger Families Program treatment differ from other treatments for fatherhood?

The Strong Fathers, Stronger Families Program is unique because it integrates relationship education and fatherhood programs, focusing on improving father-child engagement, co-parenting relationships, and economic self-sufficiency. Unlike other treatments, it combines these elements to provide a comprehensive approach to strengthening family dynamics, particularly for low-income families. ^{2 4 6 10 11}

What is the purpose of this trial?

The purpose of this descriptive study is to explore whether there is an association between participation in the Strong Fathers, Stronger Families program and improvements in outcomes related to parenting, co-parenting, and economic stability. Participants are surveyed at program entry and program exit, and changes in participant attitudes are assessed over time.

Research Team

Matt D Shepherd, PhD

Principal Investigator

Midwest Evaluation and Research

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for fathers interested in improving their parenting, co-parenting skills, and economic stability. Participants will be surveyed at the start and end of the program to track changes.

Inclusion Criteria

I am an adult with children aged 0 to 24.

Father/father figure

Reside in Memphis metropolitan area

Exclusion Criteria

Not a father/father figure

Reside outside of Memphis metropolitan area

I am under 18 years old.

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

Program Participation

Participants engage in the Strong Fathers, Stronger Families program, completing 40 hours of the Blueprint and 24/7 Dad curricula over ten weeks.

10 weeks

Program entry and exit surveys

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in parenting, co-parenting, and economic stability outcomes after program completion.

4 weeks

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Strong Fathers, Stronger Families Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Program

Trial Overview The study evaluates the Strong Fathers, Stronger Families program's effectiveness on fatherhood by assessing participant attitudes before and after completing the program.

Participant Groups

Group I: Primary Services Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Primary Services Participants receive 40 hours of the Blueprint and 24/7 Dad curricula over the course of ten weeks.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Midwest Evaluation & Research

Lead Sponsor

Trials

11

Recruited

11,700+

Seedco: Strong Fathers, Stronger Families

Collaborator

Findings from Research

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 Fathers for Change intervention, involving 18 fathers with both Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and substance abuse issues, led to higher treatment completion rates and greater satisfaction compared to Individual Drug Counseling.

Participants in the Fathers for Change group showed a trend toward reduced IPV and significantly less intrusive behavior during play with their children after the 16-week program, suggesting potential benefits for both fathers and their parenting.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Fathers for Change for Substance Use and Intimate Partner Violence: Initial Community Pilot. Stover, CS.[2023]

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]

Engaging fathers and male caregivers in interventions for young children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has shown positive impacts on maternal, paternal, and couple relationship outcomes, with 44 studies reviewed highlighting these benefits.

While child outcomes showed some positive effects, the evidence was less consistent compared to maternal and paternal outcomes, indicating a need for more rigorous studies to fully understand the impact of male caregiver involvement on child development.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effectiveness of father-inclusive interventions on maternal, paternal, couples, and early child outcomes in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review. Jeong, J., Sullivan, EF., McCann, JK.[2023]

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]

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]

Community-based programs for low-income fathers often face challenges in achieving high attendance rates, but some programs successfully engage fathers in parenting and economic security classes.

Higher levels of participation (or dosage) in these programs are positively associated with better outcomes for fathers, including increased engagement with children, improved parenting satisfaction, and higher earnings.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Fathers' Dosage in Community-based Programs for Low-income Fathers. Fagan, J., Pearson, J.[2021]

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]

References

1. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Where's Dad? The Importance of Integrating Fatherhood and Parenting Programming into Substance Use Treatment for Men. [2020]

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

An approach to preventing coparenting conflict and divorce in low-income families: strengthening couple relationships and fostering fathers' involvement. [2019]

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

Fathers for Change for Substance Use and Intimate Partner Violence: Initial Community Pilot. [2023]

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

Introduction to special section: Federally funded, community-based healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood program impact studies. [2022]

5. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effectiveness of father-inclusive interventions on maternal, paternal, couples, and early child outcomes in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review. [2023]

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

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

7. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

*The efficacy of the attachment-based SAFE® prevention program: a randomized control trial including mothers and fathers. [2020]

8. England 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. [2022]

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

Fathers' Dosage in Community-based Programs for Low-income Fathers. [2021]

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

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

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

Marriage and fatherhood programs. [2019]