Responsible Fatherhood Programs in the Parents and Children Together (PACT) Evaluation

• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.12140
• Author: Pamela Holcomb,Heather Zaveri,M. Robin Dion
• Published date: 01 April 2015
• Date: 01 April 2015

RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD PROGRAMS IN THE PARENTS AND

CHILDREN TOGETHER (PACT) EVALUATION

M. Robin Dion, Heather Zaveri, and Pamela Holcomb

Policy interest and support for increasing the positiveinvolvement of fathers in their children’s lives has increased substantially

in recent years, with a dedicated federal funding stream for responsible fatherhood programs. These programs aim to improve

fathers’ parenting, economic stability, and relationship skills, factors that are known to be associated with fathers’

socioemotional and financial support of their children. We focus on the efforts of four fatherhood programs participating in a

large-scale evaluation sponsored bythe Administration for Children and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human

Services. Weconclude that fathers in these programs, the majority of whom have nonresidential children, are strongly motivated

to be more involvedwith and support their children despite numerous bar riers, including difficult co-parenting relationships and

problems with access to their children. Findings show that large numbers of fathers voluntarily enroll and participate in

fatherhood program services in an effort to improve their situations. Future reports will describe the effects of these services

on the well-being of the fathers and their families.

Key Points for the Family Court Community:

• The federal government is devotingconsiderable resources to programs to help fathers become more involved with and

supportive of their children.

• Many participating fathers lack formal visitation or parenting-time agreements because they were not married to the

mothers of their children and no longer live with them.

• Research to learn how these programs work is growing; this article describes preliminary findings from an evaluation

of four federal responsible fatherhood programs.

Keywords: Co-Parenting;Fatherhood;Federal Evaluation;Nonresidential Parents;Parenting-TimeAgreements;Unmarried

Parents;andVisitation

INTRODUCTION

The past several decades have seen sweeping changes in American families, changes that have left

many children without the support or involvement of their fathers. Currently, a smaller percentage of

Americans are married than at any time in history, and rates of nonmarital childbearing are high

(Martinez et al., 2012). Although the majority of unmarried couples having a child expect to stay

together, most become estranged within a few years of their child’s birth (Carlson & McLanahan,

2010). Nearly one of every three children in the United States—more than 20 million children—now

live in a home without their biological father (U.S. Census Bureau, 2013).

Family research confirms that fathers matter; father absence and lack of paternal involvement have

negative consequences for children and families (Cabrera, Shannon, & Tamis-LeMonda, 2007;

Carlson, 2006; Hofferth, 2006; Marsiglio, Amato, Day, & Lamb, 2000; Tamis-LeMonda, Shannon,

Cabrera, & Lamb, 2004). The involvement and support of not just mothers but also fathers affect

lifelong outcomes for children such as educational attainment, employment, and childbearing

(McLanahan & Sandefur, 1994; Wolfinger, 2003; Wu & Martinson, 1993). Resident and nonresident

fathers alike have an important role in shaping children’s outcomes (Adamsons & Johnson, 2013;

Carlson & Magnuson, 2011; McWayne, Downer, Campos, & Harris, 2013). Among nonresident

fathers, involvement and positive father–child relationships are associated with fewer child and

adolescent behavior problems (Carlson & Magnuson, 2011; King & Sobolewski, 2006; McWayne et

Correspondence: rdion@mathematica-mpr.com; hzaveri@mathematica-mpr.com; pholcomb@mathematica-mpr.com

FAMILY COURT REVIEW, Vol.53 No. 2, April 2015 292–303

© 2015 Association of Familyand Conciliation Cour ts