Responsible Fatherhood Programming for Enhancing Parenting Skills

(FELLAS Trial)

Overseen By Michael Young, Ph.D.

Age: 18+

Sex: Male

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Partnership for Maternal & Child Health of Northern New Jersey

Disqualifiers: Not a father, children over 24, 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

540 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 treatment Responsible Fatherhood Programming for enhancing parenting skills?

Research shows that programs focused on father involvement, like the Bringing Baby Home program, can increase fathers' participation in parenting tasks and improve satisfaction with parenting roles. Additionally, educational interventions for expectant fathers have been appreciated and helped them feel more prepared for their role, suggesting that similar fatherhood programs can be effective. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

How does the Responsible Fatherhood Programming treatment differ from other treatments for enhancing parenting skills?

Responsible Fatherhood Programming is unique because it specifically targets fathers, offering tailored educational sessions to help them develop parenting skills and a sense of mastery in their paternal role, unlike many existing programs that primarily focus on mothers. ^{2 3 6 7 8}

What is the purpose of this trial?

The Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey, Inc. (PMCH) is implementing a fatherhood project with the goal of strengthening father-child engagement, improving economic stability, and improving healthy marriage/relationship skills among participants. FELLAS serves community-based fathers 18 years of age or older who reside in Essex County, New Jersey and have at least one child under the age of 24. The program model has three components: to improve responsible parenting using 24/7 Dad, an evidence based curriculum; to improve healthy marriage/relationship skills using Couple Communication I, an evidence based relationship and marriage strengthening curriculum that includes home visits; and to improve economic stability using a comprehensive array of services designed to provide an employment assessment, strengthen basic technology skills, and strengthen pre-employment soft skills. Evaluation activities include a self-report questionnaire administered (1) immediately prior to beginning the program (pretest), (2) immediately after completion of the program (posttest), and (3) six months after the posttest. Focus groups will also provide qualitative data concerning the effects of the program.

Eligibility Criteria

The FELLAS project is for fathers living in Essex County, New Jersey who have at least one child under the age of 24. It aims to help them engage better with their children, improve their economic situation, and strengthen relationship skills.

Inclusion Criteria

Reside in Essex County, New Jersey

I have a child who is 24 years old or younger.

I am a father.

Exclusion Criteria

I am not a father.

Father with all children older than 24

Not a resident of Essex County, New Jersey

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Participants receive educational programming including 24/7 Dad, Couples Communication I, and financial literacy/money management

5 weeks

Home visits included

Posttest Evaluation

Participants complete a self-report questionnaire immediately after the program

1 week

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for improvements in skills such as communication, conflict resolution, economic stability, and parenting

6 months

Focus groups and self-report questionnaires

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Responsible Fatherhood Programming

Trial Overview This program tests a fatherhood initiative that includes parenting education using the '24/7 Dad' curriculum, relationship enhancement with 'Couple Communication I', and employment support services to boost job readiness.

Participant Groups

Group I: Intervention - Responsible Fatherhood Programming Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants receive educational programming to include: 24/7 Dad, Couples Communication I, and a comprehensive program targeting financial literacy/money management. The study features only one group. Participants will receive the intervention described. There is no control group.

Responsible Fatherhood Programming is already approved in United States for the following indications:

Approved in United States as FELLAS for:

• Strengthening father-child engagement
• Improving economic stability
• Enhancing healthy marriage/relationship skills

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Partnership for Maternal & Child Health of Northern New Jersey

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1

Recruited

540+

Findings from Research

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 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]

An educational intervention consisting of 4 sessions was developed for 6 expectant fathers to help them gain confidence in their upcoming paternal roles, and the participants reported a positive experience with the content and format.

The intervention effectively supported the transition to fatherhood by addressing the specific needs of expectant fathers, indicating its potential value in similar educational programs.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

An Educational Intervention to Support the Development of a Sense of Mastery of the Anticipated Paternal Role in Expectant Fathers: A Clinical Project. Bourget, M., Héon, M., Aita, M., et al.[2020]

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]

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 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]

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]

References

1. United States 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. [2022]

2. 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]

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

An Educational Intervention to Support the Development of a Sense of Mastery of the Anticipated Paternal Role in Expectant Fathers: A Clinical Project. [2020]

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

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

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

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

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

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]

8. Germany pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

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