Parenting & Relationship Education for Fathers' Life Skills Improvement

(Ignite Trial)

Overseen By Andrew Truman, BS

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Jewish Family & Children's Service of the Suncoast, Inc.

Disqualifiers: Under 18, Not residing in specified counties

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

Duration: 12 weeks

675 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

The goals of the program are to help struggling fathers and father figures improve the parent-child relationship, sustain healthy marriages and relationships (and help those who are single identify ways to enter into safe and supportive relationships that may ultimately lead to marriage), and identify and support fathers in their economic stability and employment objectives. These outcomes will be achieved through a series of workshops addressing responsible parenting and marriage and relationships as well as a complement of employment services and comprehensive case management. Additional services needed by participants will be identified and provided either through wraparound programming provided by JFCS or through collaborative agreements with local partner agencies. Additionally, Ignite will incorporate a comprehensive employment program combining both job and career advancement.

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 treatment Responsible Parenting, Relationships, and Employment Services for improving fathers' life skills?

Research shows that programs focused on father engagement, like the one in the study, can significantly improve fathers' confidence and competence in parenting. Additionally, programs for adolescent fathers have been effective in increasing their commitment and involvement with their children, suggesting that similar interventions can positively impact fathers' life skills. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is the Parenting & Relationship Education for Fathers' Life Skills Improvement program safe for participants?

The studies on similar programs, like TRUE Dads and Family Foundations, suggest that these interventions are generally safe and can lead to positive outcomes such as reduced depressive symptoms, improved parenting skills, and better family relationships. No specific safety concerns were reported in these studies. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

How is the Responsible Parenting, Relationships, and Employment Services treatment unique for improving fathers' life skills?

This treatment is unique because it integrates parenting, relationship, and employment support specifically for fathers, involving both fathers and their co-parenting partners in group workshops. It focuses on improving family relationships and economic self-sufficiency, which is not commonly addressed together in other interventions. ^{5 6 7 11 12}

Research Team

Katelyn Kopakin, MA

Principal Investigator

Jewish Family Children's Services of the Suncoast, Inc.

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for adults over 18 living in Sarasota, Manatee, and Charlotte counties on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Participants should be fathers or father figures with a child under 24 years old who are interested in improving their parenting skills, relationships, and employment status.

Inclusion Criteria

I have a child or children under 24 years old.

I am 18 years old or older.

Resides in Sarasota, Manatee, and Charlotte counties on the Gulf Coast of Florida

Exclusion Criteria

I am under 18 years old.

Does not reside in Sarasota, Manatee, and Charlotte counties on the Gulf Coast of Florida

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

A series of workshops addressing responsible parenting, marriage, relationships, and employment services conducted over a 12-week period

12 weeks

Weekly workshops

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for outcomes related to family environment, employment barriers, dyadic adjustment, and employment hope

24 weeks

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Treatment Intervention: Responsible Parenting, Relationships, and Employment Services

Trial Overview The Ignite Study tests a program offering workshops on responsible parenting and relationship building along with employment services to help fathers enhance family life and job stability. It includes comprehensive case management and support through local agencies.

Participant Groups

Group I: Treatment Intervention: Responsible Parenting, Relationships, and Employment Services Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Experimental: A series of workshops addressing responsible parenting and marriage and relationships as well as a complement of employment services and comprehensive case management will be conducted over a 12-week period.

Group II: Wait-List Control Active Control 1 Intervention

The Wait-List Control group will be placed on a wait-list and offered services as soon as they complete the study's final 24-week follow-up measures. Wait-List Control participants will not be assigned a Case Manager and will not receive any comparable services from our agency until they complete their 24-week measures.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Jewish Family & Children's Service of the Suncoast, Inc.

Lead Sponsor

Trials

3

Recruited

2,400+

Findings from Research

Fathers play a crucial role in positive child development, but research on their impact and effective interventions has been limited, as highlighted by a systematic review of 64 studies.

The review suggests a need for more targeted research on fathers, particularly in areas like co-parenting, and recommends improving methods for including, engaging, retaining, and measuring outcomes related to fathers in future studies.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Future Directions in Father Inclusion, Engagement, Retention, and Positive Outcomes in Child and Adolescent Research. Fabiano, GA., Caserta, A.[2019]

Practitioners reported high confidence in engaging fathers in parenting interventions, but only about one-third had received training specifically for this purpose, indicating a gap in professional development.

Higher levels of practitioner competence and experience, along with strong organizational support, were associated with increased father attendance in parenting programs, suggesting that targeted training and support could enhance father engagement.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Examining Practitioner Competencies, Organizational Support and Barriers to Engaging Fathers in Parenting Interventions. Tully, LA., Collins, DAJ., Piotrowska, PJ., et al.[2018]

The online training program for practitioners in Canada and the UK significantly improved their confidence and competence in engaging fathers in family-based interventions, with results comparable to those from Australia.

Practitioner satisfaction with the training was high, and feedback indicated that incorporating local resources and diverse representation could enhance the training's relevance and effectiveness.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Global Workforce Development in Father Engagement Competencies for Family-Based Interventions Using an Online Training Program: A Mixed-Method Feasibility Study. Sawrikar, V., Plant, AL., Andrade, B., et al.[2023]

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 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 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 Fathering in Recovery (FIR) intervention, a video-based program adapted for fathers in their first year of recovery from substance use disorders, significantly improved parenting knowledge and fathering efficacy among participants, based on a pilot study of 41 fathers.

FIR also showed potential in reducing ineffective parenting practices and child behavior problems, indicating that this intervention could positively impact families affected by substance use disorders, although further research is needed to confirm these findings.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A randomized controlled trial to improve fathering among fathers with substance use disorders: Fathering in recovery intervention. Cioffi, CC., Browning O'Hagan, AM., Halvorson, S., et al.[2023]

The New Beginnings Program-Dads (NBP-Dads) significantly improved parenting skills among divorced fathers, leading to better father-child interactions and communication, as reported by both fathers and their children at posttest and 10-month follow-up.

Children of fathers who participated in NBP-Dads showed reduced internalizing problems and increased social competence after 10 months, highlighting the program's positive impact on children's mental health following parental divorce.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of a Program to Promote High Quality Parenting by Divorced and Separated Fathers. Sandler, I., Gunn, H., Mazza, G., et al.[2023]

The Family Foundations Home Visiting program, adapted for low-income parents, showed significant improvements in mental health outcomes, such as reduced depression and PTSD symptoms, for both mothers and fathers after completing the intervention.

Parents who participated in the program also exhibited increased affection, engagement, and sensitivity towards their infants, suggesting that enhancing coparenting can positively impact child development, similar to results seen in more affluent families.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Promoting parenting in home visiting: A CACE analysis of Family Foundations. Ammerman, RT., Peugh, JL., Teeters, AR., et al.[2022]

The ParentWorks online intervention, which included 388 families with a significant participation of fathers (36.6%), effectively reduced child emotional and behavioral problems, as well as dysfunctional parenting and interparental conflict.

Children with more severe behavioral issues at baseline showed greater improvements, indicating that the program is particularly beneficial for families facing significant challenges.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

ParentWorks: Evaluation of an Online, Father-Inclusive, Universal Parenting Intervention to Reduce Child Conduct Problems. Piotrowska, PJ., Tully, LA., Collins, DAJ., et al.[2021]

In a study involving 2,540 low-income fathers, relationship skills education was found to moderate the link between depressive symptoms at 15 months and 36 months, suggesting that such education can help reduce long-term depression in fathers.

The effectiveness of the relationship skills education varied based on how much of the program the fathers participated in, indicating that consistent engagement in the intervention is important for achieving better mental health outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The moderating role of relationship skills education on depressive symptoms in fathers with young children. Roopnarine, JL., Dede Yildirim, E.[2022]

Despite the increasing need for mental health interventions for children, father engagement in these programs remains low, with 58% of studies reporting engagement rates below 50%.

Effective strategies to engage fathers, such as adapting treatment formats and settings, are rarely implemented, with most interventions still focusing on traditional behavioral parent training without specific adaptations for fathers.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Intervention and Implementation Characteristics to Enhance Father Engagement: A Systematic Review of Parenting Interventions. Gonzalez, JC., Klein, CC., Barnett, ML., et al.[2023]

References

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

Future Directions in Father Inclusion, Engagement, Retention, and Positive Outcomes in Child and Adolescent Research. [2019]

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

Examining Practitioner Competencies, Organizational Support and Barriers to Engaging Fathers in Parenting Interventions. [2018]

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

Global Workforce Development in Father Engagement Competencies for Family-Based Interventions Using an Online Training Program: A Mixed-Method Feasibility Study. [2023]

4. 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]

5. 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]

6. 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]

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

A randomized controlled trial to improve fathering among fathers with substance use disorders: Fathering in recovery intervention. [2023]

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

Effects of a Program to Promote High Quality Parenting by Divorced and Separated Fathers. [2023]

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

Promoting parenting in home visiting: A CACE analysis of Family Foundations. [2022]

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

ParentWorks: Evaluation of an Online, Father-Inclusive, Universal Parenting Intervention to Reduce Child Conduct Problems. [2021]

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

The moderating role of relationship skills education on depressive symptoms in fathers with young children. [2022]

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

Intervention and Implementation Characteristics to Enhance Father Engagement: A Systematic Review of Parenting Interventions. [2023]