CDR Investing in Fatherhood Process Study & Evaluation

Parent-Child Relations, Parenting

This study will evaluate the Investing in Fatherhood: New Pathways program of Child Development Resources (CDR), a Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood (HMRF) grantee. The program will deliver parenting education, relationship skills training, job preparedness and financial planning, and case management support. This research will consist of a descriptive process and program evaluation study, with research questions focusing on recruitment and retention and short-term participant outcomes.

This study will address three research questions: 1. Which recruitment strategies are the most successful for participation? CDR will work to expand recruitment efforts and encourage greater participation through a number of strategies, such as offering various incentives and hosting classes in other spaces (e.g. churches, restaurants, clinics). This study will examine which methods are the most effective. 2. Which engagement/retention strategies are the most successful? Current fatherhood services staff at CDR have expressed difficulty in getting fathers to participate on a regular and steady basis in fatherhood services. CDR will explore several strategies for increased retention and this study will evaluate these strategies. 3. Do fathers who participate in the program earlier in their fatherhood experience (e.g. when their oldest child is under five years of age) report better outcomes than fathers who begin receiving fatherhood services later? CDR has extensive knowledge working specifically with young children and families in early intervention programs. In early childhood development, many studies have shown that the highest return on investment comes from early intervention, from birth through age five. The hypothesis is that this principle holds true in responsible fatherhood programming as well.

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United States