Introduction
Recognizing the importance of fathers to their families, as well as the difficulties that many fathers with low-incomes face supporting their children, the federal government has supported responsible fatherhood (RF) programs for more than a decade. However, many questions remain about how to best serve fathers and their families. The Office of Family Assistance (OFA) and the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE), both within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), are committed to building the evidence base to strengthen healthy marriage (HM) and RF programming. To systematically identify current gaps in the knowledge base for HMRF programming, ACF undertook the Fatherhood, Relationships, and Marriage — Illuminating the Next Generation of Research (FRAMING Research) project.
Purpose
On July 12, 2022, ACF convened a third RF technical work group for the FRAMING Research project. The group included researchers and practitioners with expertise in RF programming and/or serving young fathers. This brief describes the discussion at the meeting, which focused on fostering trust among fathers who participate in RF programs and recruiting and retaining young fathers in services. These topics emerged from the project team’s review of the relevant literature and discussions with ACF about agency priorities. The day concluded with technical work group members participating in a brainstorming session on research priorities related to RF programming for fostering trust among fathers and serving young fathers.
Key Findings and Highlights
- Fostering trust among RF program participants. Establishing a sense of trust with program participants can positively influence how receptive they are to services and how they interact with staff and other participants. However, some fathers enrolled in RF programs have described feeling fearful of, threatened by, or mistrustful of social services and government systems. These feelings can stem from several sources including historical events or trauma, discriminatory policies, or negative experiences with social services. The first part of the discussion focused on fostering trust with fathers and the communities served by RF programs. TWG members’ key points included:
- Building a trusting relationship can take various forms based on fathers’ characteristics, including their age, race, culture, family background, and lived experience. As such, staff might need to pay attention to what resonates with various fathers to build trust.
- Inviting community members to advocate for the RF program can build fathers’ trust. RF programs might want to consider engaging former participants and community leaders to help with recruitment efforts.
- Giving fathers the opportunity to develop trusting relationships with other fathers and program staff can create a positive environment that compels fathers to return week after week.
- RF program staff might benefit from direct training on how to build trust with fathers. Staff who do not share fathers’ lived experiences, such as staff who are female or who do not have children, might need additional training to learn how to connect with fathers.
- Developing trusted partnerships with other organizations in the community can help RF programs attract potential participants.
- Honesty is key in all trusting relationships. To build trust with fathers and other organizations in the community, RF programs need to be clear about what they can offer and who will benefit most from their services.
- Serving young fathers in RF programs. RF programs tend to be more successful enrolling and engaging older fathers (that is, fathers in their 30s and older) than younger fathers (that is, fathers younger than 30). However, young fathers potentially have a lot to gain from participating in RF programs. The second part of the discussion focused on challenges associated with serving young fathers. TWG members noted the following during this part of the discussion:
- It is important for RF programs to offer services to young fathers that are developmentally appropriate. Young fathers have different developmental needs than older fathers, and programs should be prepared to directly address these needs.
- To attract more young fathers, RF programs might need to adapt some of their approaches to recruitment and service delivery, such as by recruiting through social media.
- Programs might want to consider hosting separate workshops for younger and older fathers, rather than serving them together.
- Cultural norms have historically led fathers to feel that they did not have as much to offer their children during the early years of infancy and toddlerhood. However, young fathers today may be more open to dispelling sex stereotypes and embracing nurturing and caregiving roles—a cultural shift that RF programs should capitalize on.
- Future RF research priorities. TWG members identified three top priorities for future work, which included:
- Develop a conceptual model for building trust between programs and fathers.
- Engage community members in all aspects of the research process to build trust with research teams.
- Gather evidence to better understand the needs of young fathers and how to serve them.
Citation
Hennigar, A., and J. Alamillo. “Fostering Trust with Program Participants and Serving Young Fathers: Highlights from the Third FRAMING Research Responsible Fatherhood Technical Work Group.” OPRE Report 2023-026. Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2023.