Resource Library

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...

Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education (HMRE) programs for low-income participants are funded by the Office of Family Assistance (OFA) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). Trained facilitators deliver curricula, typically in weekly interactive classes, using lectures and in-class practice with partners or small groups. According to the current literature, HMRE programs may improve participants’...

Insights from behavioral economics, which combines findings from psychology and economics, suggest that a deeper understanding of decision-making and behavior could improve human services program design and outcomes. Research has shown that small changes in the environment can facilitate behaviors and decisions that are in people’s best interest. However, there has been relatively little exploration of the potential application of this science to complex, large-scale human services...

This report reviews empirical and theoretical work and expert input to summarize research and theory about any associations between healthy relationship program participation and experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) and teen dating violence (TDV)...

This report summarizes the key findings from the implementation of the adapted version of Reducing the Risk comprehensive sex education program in the Barren River and Lincoln Trail District Health Departments in Kentucky. In both districts, health educators delivered the program during the 2013—2014 and 2014—2015 school years in relatively low-income, mostly rural high schools.

In addition to descriptions of how the program was adapted and its implementation...

This brief provides lessons learned and practitioner recommendations to help inform HMRF policy and service delivery in rural contexts.

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...

Financial support from fathers can lead to important improvements in child well-being. Financial support from noncustodial fathers, often provided through formal child support payments, can make up a substantial part of the income of single-parent families and lead to reductions in child poverty (ACF 2016; Sorensen 2010; Meyer et al. 2008; Takayesu 2011). Child well-being can be improved when child support programs enable and enforce fathers’ financial support for children...

This brief summarizes three recently completed federal evaluations that address the following research question: How does offering employment and other supportive services to disadvantaged noncustodial parents affect their employment and earnings, parenting, and child support payments?