Fatherhood Works Program for Enhancing Parenting Skills

Overseen By Matt D Shepherd

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

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

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to determine if a program called Fatherhood Works can improve parenting skills and attitudes in fathers and father figures living in Central Texas. Participants will attend in-person sessions covering parenting, co-parenting, and job-related skills such as financial literacy and employment support. The trial seeks fathers or father figures with children up to 24 years old who reside in Central Texas. As an unphased trial, this study offers a unique opportunity to enhance parenting skills and support family well-being.

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 the Fatherhood Works Program is safe for participants?

Research shows that programs like the Fatherhood Works Program are generally safe and well-received. Studies have found that these programs can enhance parenting skills and promote healthier behaviors without causing major issues. Participants in similar programs have reported becoming more nurturing and adopting more positive attitudes.

No reports of negative effects or safety concerns have emerged from joining these programs. The main goal is to provide support and education, which typically benefits participants. Although this program is not a medical treatment, existing evidence suggests it is safe for participants. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the Fatherhood Works Program because it takes a comprehensive approach to enhancing parenting skills among fathers. Unlike traditional parenting programs that might focus solely on communication or disciplinary techniques, this program combines 26 hours of the Nurturing Fathers curriculum with employment supports, case management, and financial literacy training. This holistic method is designed not only to improve parenting skills but also to strengthen overall family stability and economic self-sufficiency, setting it apart from existing options. By addressing multiple aspects of a father's life, the program aims to foster a more supportive and nurturing home environment.

What evidence suggests that the Fatherhood Works Program is effective for enhancing parenting skills?

Research has shown that programs like the Fatherhood Works Program, which involve fathers in parenting, can reduce behavior problems in children and improve family relationships. Participants in this trial will receive the Fatherhood Works Program in person, which includes 26 hours of the Nurturing Fathers curriculum, employment supports, case management, and financial literacy training. Participants in similar programs often become better parents after receiving education and job support. One study found that these programs can enhance parenting skills, relationship skills, and self-awareness. Additionally, clear benefits such as higher employment rates and increased income highlight the positive effects of these programs. Overall, these programs have been linked to positive changes in fathers' attitudes and behaviors. ^{2 5 6 7 8}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Matt D Shepherd, PhD

Principal Investigator

Midwest Evaluation and Research

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for father figures, including dads with children up to 24 years old living in Central Texas. Participants must be adults over the age of 18. It's not open to those under 18, living outside Central Texas, or without a child or if their child is older than 24.

Inclusion Criteria

I'm sorry, but "Father figure" is not a clinical trial exclusion criterion. It does not require a summary. Please provide a valid criterion.

I am 24 years old or younger.

You live in Central Texas.

Exclusion Criteria

I am over 24 years old.

Resides outside of Central Texas

I am under 18 years old.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Program Participation

Participants receive 26 hours of Nurturing Fathers curriculum, employment supports, case management, and financial literacy training

Varies based on individual needs

Combination of in-person and virtual sessions

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in parenting, co-parenting, and employment attitudes and behaviors

12 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Fatherhood Works Program

Trial Overview The study is testing the Fatherhood Works Program delivered to participants either in-person or virtually. The goal is to see which format better improves the quality of the relationship between low-income fathers/father figures and their children.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Fatherhood Works Program delivered in-person Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants receive 26 hours of Nurturing Fathers curriculum, delivered in person. Participants also receive employment supports, case management, and financial literacy training.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Midwest Evaluation & Research

Lead Sponsor

Trials

11

Recruited

11,700+

Goodwill of Central Texas

Collaborator

Trials

1

Recruited

400+

Published Research Related to This Trial

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 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]

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]

A parenting education program for first-time fathers of 5-month-old infants was perceived as useful, highlighting that fathers have different educational needs compared to mothers.

The program, which included videotaped self-modeling and feedback, showed that fathers who participated improved their interaction with their infants, suggesting its potential effectiveness in public health settings, although demographic factors did not predict which fathers benefited.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Strengthening new fathers' skills in interaction with their 5-month-old infants: who benefits from a brief intervention? Benzies, K., Magill-Evans, J., Harrison, MJ., et al.[2022]

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 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]

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]

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7031876/

Effectiveness of a 24/7 Dad® Curriculum in Improving Father ... Key program outcome was differences in pre and post-test scores on self-awareness, fathering skills, parenting skills, relationship skills, and self-care.

2. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05292963

Goodwill of Central Texas: Fatherhood Works Healthy ... 1a) Will participants report significantly healthier parenting behavior after completing primary educational services and employment support services? ... The 8 ...

3. frpn.org frpn.org/sites/default/files/FRPN_MetaAnalysis_Summary_121418_v3.pdf

Do Responsible Fatherhood Programs Work? Measurable outcomes include increases in employment rates, income, child support order establishment, and the payment of formal and informal child support (e.g. ...

4. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-fathers-3-2021-760b9

Fatherhood Works Program for Enhancing Parenting Skills Research shows that programs designed to engage fathers in parenting, like the Fatherhood Works Program, can lead to fewer child behavior problems, improved ...

5. trial.medpath.com trial.medpath.com/clinical-trial/5ee64399718d5072/nct05292963-fatherhood-works-program-evaluation

Goodwill of Central Texas: Fatherhood Works Healthy ... The key goal of this descriptive evaluation is to assess the extent to which participation in the Fatherhood Works Program is positively associated with ...

6. acf.gov acf.gov/sites/default/files/documents/opre/fatherhood_brief_508.pdf

FATHERHOOD Findings showed that the responsible fatherhood programs in PACT improved fathers' parenting, specifically their self-reported nurturing behavior and ...

7. cdn.clinicaltrials.gov cdn.clinicaltrials.gov/large-docs/63/NCT05292963/Prot_000.pdf

Goodwill of Central Texas: Fatherhood Works Healthy ... R1. Participants will report healthier parenting behavior one year after enrolling in the Fatherhood Works Program. R2. Participants will ...

8. newprairiepress.org newprairiepress.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1295&context=hbr

An Early Evaluation Of A Responsible Fatherhood Program ... RESULTS. Participants showed significant improvement from pretest to posttest for five of the seven outcome measures, including: Attitudes ...