The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation seeks applications for cooperative agreements to create an African American Child and Family Research Center. The proposed Center will lead and support research on the needs of African American populations that are served by ACF programs and will help identify promising approaches to promote social and economic well-being among low-income African American populations. Key topics of interest for the Center will include research on educational and employment experiences and outcomes, experiences with human services, discrimination, effects of criminal justice system involvement, program evaluation, and distinctive experiences in rural, suburban, and urban areas. Applications are due by July 12, 2021.

This journal article is the result of a qualitative study informed by Arditti’s Family Inequality Framework. The study features interviews with 19 fathers who were recently released from prison and data gathered through a brief background survey. Four main themes identified in the study were parenting from prison, committed fathering, outside influences on parenting, and recreating oneself. The fathers identified factors that created barriers in maintaining contact and communication with their children while being incarcerated, such as personal challenges, systemic barriers (such as housing, employment, and the criminal justice system), and parental challenges.

This brief from the National Research Center on Hispanic Children and Families uses data sets from the 2013-2017 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), which include measures of father involvement for children from birth to age 18. The brief examines differences in experiences of US-born and foreign-born Hispanic fathers. There is also an examination of three domains of fathering behaviors: engagement, warmth, and caregiving.

This infographic from the National Fatherhood Initiative shares that 18.3 million children in the United States are without their biological father in the home. It details how children are affected in father-absent homes, including teen pregnancy, as teens are seven times more likely to become pregnant; child abuse, as children are more likely to face abuse and neglect; and behavioral problems. Data used in the infographic was retrieved from the U.S. Census Bureau.

This National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse brief provides information and action steps that fatherhood programs can use to help unmarried fathers understand and navigate their circumstances and options. Highlighted action steps include creating a parenting plan, finding out whether free or low-cost programs and services are available to unmarried fathers, attending negotiation conferences, and consistently complying with a parenting time schedule.

This brief by the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse analyzes data on the amount and frequency of formal and informal child support payments. The analysis included fathers aged 20-49 who reported living apart from at least one biological or adopted child aged 18 or younger and used data from the 2015-2017 National Survey of Family Growth. Highlights of the analysis were the reported frequency of support payments, which varied according to the father’s employment status.

This video series, available through the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse, encourages fathers to show their “Dadication” to their children. The videos exhibit how fathers make time and show up for their children, even when facing common stressors like financial burdens and busy schedules.

This blogpost is a compendium of resources and tips on practitioner-led adaptations for virtual remote service delivery that have occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. Topics include participant engagement, the shift to remote service delivery, what post-pandemic changes will be maintained, staff training and professional development, and process mapping. The blogpost also highlights specific programs and their adaptations.

This report examines family treatment courts (FTCs) that address the needs of families affected by substance use disorders. FTCs coordinate service delivery from child protective services, treatment professionals, court personnel, and community partners; this coordination helps ensure that children have safe, nurturing, and permanent homes, parents achieve stable recovery, and each family member receives needed services and supports. The report covers key FTC components, including multisystemic collaborative approaches, governance structures, and integrated and parallel program models, and presents FTC examples in Jefferson County, Colorado; King County, Washington; and Sacramento County, California.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Family-Centered Community Change (FCCC) is a two-generation effort in Buffalo, New York; Columbus, Ohio; and San Antonio, Texas. This report estimates the staff labor costs for two-generation coordination and integration in these three communities, which may assist other localities and nonprofit service providers in budget planning, specifically for partnership development and coordinated service delivery.