IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/anname/v635y2011i1p216-239.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Policies That Strengthen Fatherhood and Family Relationships: What Do We Know and What Do We Need to Know?

Author

Listed:
  • Virginia Knox

    (MDRC)

  • Philip A. Cowan

    (University of California, Berkeley)

  • Carolyn Pape Cowan

    (University of California, Berkeley)

  • Elana Bildner

    (MDRCs Families)

Abstract

As described in earlier articles, children whose parents have higher incomes and education levels are more likely to grow up in stable two-parent households than their economically disadvantaged counterparts. The widening gaps in fathers’ involvement in parenting and in the quality and stability of parents’ relationships may reinforce disparities in outcomes for the next generation. This article reviews evidence about the effectiveness of two strategies to strengthen fathers’ involvement and family relationships—fatherhood programs aimed at disadvantaged noncustodial fathers and relationship skills programs for parents who are together. Fatherhood programs have shown some efficacy in increasing child support payments, while some relationship skills approaches have shown benefits for the couples’ relationship quality, coparenting skills, fathers’ engagement in parenting, and children’s well-being. The research suggests that parents’ relationship with each other should be a fundamental consideration in future programs aimed at increasing low-income fathers’ involvement with their children.

Suggested Citation

  • Virginia Knox & Philip A. Cowan & Carolyn Pape Cowan & Elana Bildner, 2011. "Policies That Strengthen Fatherhood and Family Relationships: What Do We Know and What Do We Need to Know?," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 635(1), pages 216-239, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:sae:anname:v:635:y:2011:i:1:p:216-239
    DOI: 10.1177/0002716210394769
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0002716210394769
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/0002716210394769?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Robert G. Wood & Sheena McConnell & Quinn Moore & Andrew Clarkwest & JoAnn Hsueh, 2010. "Strengthening Unmarried Parents' Relationships: The Early Impacts of Building Strong Families (Presentation)," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 2b4f8a18654945f7bfab09d35, Mathematica Policy Research.
    2. repec:mpr:mprres:6645 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. repec:mpr:mprres:6850 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. repec:mpr:mprres:6648 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Robert G. Wood & Sheena McConnell & Quinn Moore & Andrew Clarkwest & JoAnn Hsueh, 2010. "Strengthening Unmarried Parents' Relationships: The Early Impacts of Building Strong Families," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 1cb4397566b2466c92d63ad82, Mathematica Policy Research.
    6. Robert G. Wood & Sheena McConnell & Quinn Moore & Andrew Clarkwest & JoAnn Hsueh, 2010. "Strengthening Unmarried Parents' Relationships: The Early Impacts of Building Strong Families," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 1eae3f93679e43ee9f9b7d398, Mathematica Policy Research.
    7. repec:mpr:mprres:6647 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. repec:mpr:mprres:5864 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. repec:mpr:mprres:7372 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Robert G. Wood & Quinn Moore & Andrew Clarkwest & JoAnn Hsueh & Sheena McConnell, 2010. "Strengthening Unmarried Parents' Relationships: The Early Impacts of Building Strong Families, Technical Supplement," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 6262d6ea8f5b4c63a68edb872, Mathematica Policy Research.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ron Haskins & Isabel V. Sawhill, 2016. "The Decline of the American Family," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 667(1), pages 8-34, September.
    2. Robert G. Wood & Quinn Moore & Andrew Clarkwest, "undated". "BSF's Effects on Couples Who Attended Group Relationship Skills Sessions: A Special Analysis of 15-Month Data," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 7e219866d1d4453899d78f144, Mathematica Policy Research.
    3. Robert G. Wood & Quinn Moore & Andrew Clarkwest & Alexandra Killewald & Shannon Monahan, "undated". "The Long-Term Effects of Building Strong Families: A Relationship Skills Education Program for Unmarried Parents," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 5932425ddd704b58abbe5692e, Mathematica Policy Research.
    4. Barbara Devaney & Robin Dion, "undated". "15-Month Impacts of Oklahoma's Family Expectations Program," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 89d9e9dbb348415a8c84db9da, Mathematica Policy Research.
    5. Robert Santillano & Robert G. Wood, "undated". "Relationship Skills Education and Child Support: Evidence from a Program Partnership in Texas," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 33885602181e4cfc852fbd700, Mathematica Policy Research.
    6. Lee, Shawna J. & Pace, Garrett T. & Lee, Joyce Y. & Knauer, Heather, 2018. "The association of fathers' parental warmth and parenting stress to child behavior problems," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 1-10.
    7. Robert G. Wood & Quinn Moore & Andrew Clarkwest & JoAnn Hsueh & Sheena McConnell, 2010. "Strengthening Unmarried Parents' Relationships: The Early Impacts of Building Strong Families, Technical Supplement," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 6262d6ea8f5b4c63a68edb872, Mathematica Policy Research.
    8. repec:mpr:mprres:6647 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. repec:mpr:mprres:6827 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Robert G. Wood & Sheena McConnell & Quinn Moore & Andrew Clarkwest & JoAnn Hsueh, 2010. "Strengthening Unmarried Parents' Relationships: The Early Impacts of Building Strong Families," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 1eae3f93679e43ee9f9b7d398, Mathematica Policy Research.
    11. repec:mpr:mprres:7578 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. repec:mpr:mprres:6645 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Daniel Friend & Scott Baumgartner & Pamela Holcomb & Elizabeth Clary & Heather Zaveri & Amy Overcash, "undated". "Pathways-To-Outcomes: How Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education Program Activities May Lead to Intended Outcomes," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 9741aae84abe4ba0a1d9e8fa7, Mathematica Policy Research.
    14. Scott Baumgartner & Daniel Friend & Robert G. Wood & Annie Buonaspina & Hannah McInerney, "undated". "Developing Strategies to Address Implementation Challenges Facing Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education Grantees," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 3ed0cd36022b47ce92ced766d, Mathematica Policy Research.
    15. Elizabeth Cavadel & Avery Hennigar & Robert G. Wood & Lane Ritchie & Katie Hunter, "undated". "Measuring Child Well-Being in Evaluations of Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Programs," Mathematica Policy Research Reports de78f9c61a97444f91a70d69a, Mathematica Policy Research.
    16. Dana Rotz & Menbere Shiferaw & Robert G. Wood, "undated". "Enhancing a Home Visiting Program to Address Repeat Adolescent Pregnancy: The Longer-Term Impacts of Steps to Success," Mathematica Policy Research Reports f0fccc09d49844a6a669b5313, Mathematica Policy Research.
    17. Dana Rotz & Robert G. Wood, "undated". "Enhancing a Home Visiting Program to Address Repeat Adolescent Pregnancy: The Early Impacts of Steps to Success," Mathematica Policy Research Reports b0d2e2a087ed4bdc8aae9ffdf, Mathematica Policy Research.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:anname:v:635:y:2011:i:1:p:216-239. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.