Resource Library

Intimate partner violence (IPV), defined as physical violence, sexual violence, stalking, and/or psychological aggression by a current or former intimate partner. IPV is prevalent and has lasting consequences for survivors and their children (CDC, 2017). It is important to understand the services that exist to help prevent IPV and address it effectively when it occurs.

IPV services reach a relatively small proportion of men, women, and families affected, and men in particular...

Several ACF programs interact with justice-involved parents and youth in an effort to promote economic self-sufficiency and social well-being for the individuals and their families. Across ACF, we are implementing rigorous research and evaluation projects to better understand how to serve this population.

The Strengthening Relationship Education and Marriage Services (STREAMS) evaluation is a random assignment impact study and in-depth process study of five Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education (HMRE) grantees funded by ACF’s Office of Family Assistance (OFA). To maximize its contributions to the evidence base and to inform future program and evaluation design, STREAMS is examining the full range of populations served by HMRE programs, including adult individuals, adult couples...

The report presents four “Pathways-to-Outcomes” models for Responsible Fatherhood (RF) programs, each focusing on one outcome domain measured in the Parents and Children Together (PACT) evaluation: (1) healthy relationships between co-parents, (2) father development and well-being, (3) consistent employment; and (4) parenting skills and father involvement.

ACF directed Mathematica to create this set of RF Pathways-to-Outcomes models to depict how RF program activities may contribute to...

The Strengthening Relationship Education and Marriage Services (STREAMS) evaluation is a random assignment impact study and in-depth process study of five healthy marriage and relationship education (HMRE) grantees funded by the Office of Family Assistance (OFA) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). To maximize its contributions to the evidence base and to inform future program and evaluation design, STREAMS is examining the full range of populations...

Recognizing the importance of stable, supportive families for the healthy development of children, the federal government has supported healthy marriage and relationship education (HMRE) programs for more than two decades. Many questions remain about how best to serve participants in these programs. The Office of Family Assistance (OFA) and the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE), both within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF)...

Fathers’ parenting engagement (that is, the ways in which fathers interact with their children) is linked to many aspects of children’s well-being, from health outcomes to academic and social outcomes. However, nonresident fathers with low incomes often face barriers to being fully engaged. By improving fathers’ engagement with their children, RF programs could ultimately benefit children.

This report provides principles, practices, and helpful resources for addressing and preventing domestic violence (DV) in fatherhood programs. This report was created through the Preventing and Addressing Intimate Violence when Engaging Dads (PAIVED) study. The PAIVED study examined the strategies used by fatherhood programs to help prevent and address domestic violence among participating fathers...

Efforts to support and promote responsible fatherhood have increased in recent decades, spurred by research that shows a link between supportive fathering and positive child outcomes. The Strengthening Families Evidence Review (SFER) identified and reviewed studies of family strengthening programs, including studies that describe and analyze responsible fatherhood programs for fathers with low income.

In the past few decades, research showing the advantages to children of being raised by both parents in healthy, stable relationships has led to an increase in couple-based programs designed to enhance relationship or co-parenting skills. The Strengthening Families Evidence Review (SFER) identified and reviewed studies of family strengthening programs. This catalog contains summaries of studies that describe and analyze marriage and relationship education or other programs for couples...