Fatherhood Research & Practice Network

FRPN Webinar: Inside the Black Box: Measuring Service Delivery, Client Engagement and Fidelity

There’s still time to register for the seventh FRPN learning community webinar, which will take place on Tuesday, March 7 from 12-1:30 p.m. EST.

This webinar will illustrate how programs and researchers can track the services and interventions that fathers actually receive using approaches developed in previous national demonstration projects. It will also consider ways to measure receptivity and buy-in from participants based on a tool developed for use with clients in child protective services. Finally, attendees will learn about measuring how consistently a fatherhood program is delivered over time and by different facilitators.

Presenters:

Lanae Davis, MPA
Senior Research Associate, Center for Policy Research

Cleopatra Howard Caldwell, PhD
Professor and Director, Center for Research on Ethnicity, Culture and Health
Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health
University of Michigan

Diane K. Yatchmenoff, PhD,
Director, Trauma Informed Oregon
Portland State University

Interested in viewing previous FRPN webinars? All of our learning community webinars are available for viewing here.

FRPN Grantee Spotlight

Dr. Francesca Adler-Baeder of Auburn University is working with the Alabama Dept. of Child Abuse Neglect & Prevention to evaluate fatherhood programs supported by state TANF funds. This interview highlights the perspectives of the evaluator and lead program manager.

Dr. Adler-Baeder, Evaluator

Dr. Adler-Baeder How did you get involved with conducting fatherhood research?
I began working with our state’s fatherhood network established DHR/TANF when I started working at Auburn University in 2001. My work involves bridging research and practice and helping organizations utilize both research-based and evidence-based programs.

What makes evaluation research in the fatherhood field interesting and what do we still need to learn?
Having seen fatherhood programs in action (see our latest video on Alabama fatherhood programs) it is easy to be motivated to be involved in documenting the effects of fatherhood programs on fathers and their children! Published studies are certainly validating fatherhood programs’ efforts to empower fathers and help them stay or get on track economically and relationally; yet, there is still much to learn about what works better for whom, given the diversity of program participants.

Jessica Jackson, Manager

Dr. Adler-Baeder Why is evaluation important to you?
As a state agency, program evaluation serves as an educational tool for stakeholders and shows tangible results when seeking funds. The most important purpose of an evaluation is to let us know if we are putting resources in the best place to create positive change among our participants.

What do you hope to learn through the FRPN grant?
Through the FRPN grant we hope to better understand the needs of our clients: do they benefit from receiving case management first or will first gaining effective parenting knowledge in classes benefit them more? We will also learn more about similarities and differences of programming in rural vs. urban settings. Results from the FRPN grant will help us create more effective programming for our community-based programs statewide.

New Research Funding Opportunity

The Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison has issued a new grant opportunity to fund research examining policies and programs with the potential to reduce child poverty and/or its effects. Proposals are invited from PhD-holding scholars at all career stages, from postdoctoral fellows to senior faculty, and from all disciplines. IRP anticipates funding four to eight projects. Award amounts will range from $10,000 to $25,000 each. The proposal submittal deadline is 5 p.m. CDT on March 31, 2017. Learn more here.

2017 SRCD Preconference

The 2017 SRCD preconference on Fathers and Families: New Perspectives and Future Directions will focus on advancing research and measurement on the role of fathers for children’s development in the context of the family. The meeting is planned for Wednesday, April 5, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Austin Convention Center before the official SRCD meetings begin. It will consist of invited talks from renowned scholars of fathering research, breakout sessions on thematic topics and opportunities for junior-senior networking. Search the formal program to learn more. Click here for Registration.

FRPN Highlights

Outcome Measures for Nonresident Fathers Developed and Validated

FRPN Co-Director Jay Fagan, PhD | Professor, Temple University School of Social Work

© 2017 Fatherhood Research & Practice Network. All rights reserved
The Fatherhood Research and Practice Network is supported by grant #90PR0006 from the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents are solely the responsibility of the Fatherhood Research and Practice Network, Temple University and the Center for Policy Research and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, the Administration for Children and Families or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.