Supporting Program Progress: Performance Measures, Data System, and Technical Assistance for the 2020 Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Grantees
Record Description
This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation report reviews data collection and performance measurement improvements that will be used to evaluate the next cohort of Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood (HMRF) grantees in late 2020. The review examines three key areas: what changes to the HMRF performance measures would improve the usefulness, quality, and clarity of data collected; what enhancements to Information, Family Outcomes, Reporting, and Management (nFORM) (the data collection system through which grantees submit data) would increase data quality and improve user experience and data access; and what training and technical assistance activities would help grantees when using nFORM. The review is drawn from lessons learned from the 2015 cohort of HMRF grantees.
Empowering Families: Implementation of an Integrated HMRE, Employment, and Financial Literacy Program for Low-Income Couples
Record Description
This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation report presents findings of the Strengthening Relationship Education and Marriage Services (STREAMS) evaluation, which is a random assignment impact analysis and process assessment of five Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education (HMRE) grantees. The process study report identifies findings on The Parenting Center’s experiences in the design and implementation of Empowering Families, which was designed to offer integrated HMRE and economic stability services to couples raising children together. The STREAMS impact evaluation reviewed the effectiveness of the integrated HMRE Empowering Families program and whether intensive economic stability services effect participants’ employment and earnings and relationship quality and co-parenting.
Domestic Violence Prevention and Intervention in Fatherhood Programs
Record Description
This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation research-to-practice brief covers background information on the consequences of domestic violence on families and children and illustrates how prevention and intervention efforts on domestic violence are framed within fatherhood programs. The brief also identifies various promising practices in these programs to support both the prevention of domestic violence and interventions when incidences have already been perpetrated. The brief was developed through the Preventing and Addressing Intimate Violence when Engaging Dads (PAIVED) study.
The Fathers & Families Coalition of America will convene its 21st Annual National Conference from February 24 to February 27, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. Conference highlights include presentations on innovative practices on parenting and family engagement by leading practitioners, identification of evidence-based models on responsible fatherhood by researchers, and small group discussions among participants. Registration for the conference (which includes registration fees) can be found at the home page for this event.
This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation report illustrates the research projects of the Division of Family Strengthening in Fiscal Year 2018. The report highlights six sections of activity: Supporting Fatherhood, Strengthening Relationships, Home Visiting: Nurturing Children Through Families, Supporting Positive Youth Development and Transitions to Adulthood, Preventing Family Violence, and Other Cross-Cutting Research.
Strengthening Relationships Between Noncustodial Fathers and the Mothers of Their Children
Record Description
The Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin at Madison will host a webinar on November 20, 2019 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET to cover the latest research on the dynamics of noncustodial fatherhood involvement and co-parenting. The webinar will also offer strategies for providers to support families more holistically by valuing and engaging mothers and fathers and promoting co-parenting relationships. Speakers include researchers from the Institute for Research on Poverty and the Men’s Health Unit at the City of Milwaukee Health Department who will cover statewide and national trends and programs.
Call for Public Comment: Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Program Performance Measure Improvements
Record Description
The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) seeks public comment on potential changes to performance measures for the Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood (HMRF) program. Developed in 2014, the program’s current metrics include reporting that reflects program applicant characteristics, program operations, participant outcomes (based on an entrance survey and an existing survey), a quarterly performance report, and a semi-annual performance report within the nFORM (Management Information) system.
OPRE seeks input on the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected, relevance and appropriateness of the performance measures for HMRF program populations, how well the measures are aligned with program goals and theories of changes, whether quarterly reports capture program performance accurately, and ways to minimize performance data collection burdens. Public comments are to be submitted to nformfeedback@acf.hhs.gov by Friday, December 6, 2019.
ACF Family Room Blog: Healthy Marriage & Fatherhood Programs Make a Difference
Record Description
This blogpost, authored by the Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families, highlights the agency’s work in promoting and supporting healthy marriages through 45 grantee organizations. The blogpost also identifies how another 40 grantees provide educational activities to address responsible fatherhood and introduces the agency’s new Responsible Fatherhood public service videos and a recent report, Fatherhood: Ongoing Research and Program Evaluation Efforts in the Administration for Children and Families. The National Fatherhood Clearinghouse is also identified as a resource for educational tools and information.
Responsible Fatherhood: Fatherhood—Family-focused, Interconnected, Resilient, and Essential (FIRE)
Record Description
This Administration for Children and Families fact sheet identifies the positive outcomes reported as a result of fathers involved in raising their children. It also outlines activities that the agency’s Fatherhood FIRE grants address, including supporting healthy marriage and responsible parenting, as well as increasing employment and economic mobility opportunities.
Parents and Children Together: Effects of Four Responsible Fatherhood Programs for Low-Income Fathers
Record Description
This Mathematica study, conducted on behalf of the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, examines the impact of four federally-funded Responsible Fatherhood programs: Connections to Success in Kansas and Missouri; Fathers’ Support Center in Missouri; FATHER Project at Goodwill–Easter Seals Minnesota; and Urban Ventures in Minnesota.