37958.01-Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education with Integrated Economic Stability Services (men)

Study Name

Empowering Families—Men

Study Sharepoint ID

37958.01

Evaluation name

Strengthening Relationship Education and Marriage Services

This study received a low study quality rating because it is a high-attrition randomized controlled trial that does not adjust estimated impacts for potentially important differences between the intervention and comparison groups.

This study received a low study quality rating because it is a high-attrition randomized controlled trial that does not adjust estimated impacts for potentially important differences between the intervention and comparison groups.

Design

Randomized controlled trial

Services

Case management

Financial education

Soft skills training

Work readiness activities

Job development/job placement

Populations targeted

Male

Settings in which the intervention was studied

Urban only

Demographics

Subgroups

Subgroup data - Female

Subgroup data - Male

Subgroup data - White

Subgroup data - Black

Count age

Count Young Adults

Count Hard-to-employ

Count Disability

Count chronically ill

Count mentally ill

Count substance dependent

Count formerly incarcerated

Count Justice involved

Count limited work history

Count homeless

Count immigrants

Count refugees

Count veterans

Count female

Count Male

Count Any postsecondary education

Count With a high school diploma or GED

Count No high school diploma or GED

Count Married

Count Parents

Count Single Parents

Count Non-Custodial Parents

Count Employed

Count Self employed

Count Unemployed

Count Disconnected/discouraged workers

Count general low-income population

Count Very low income (as classified by the authors)

Count welfare population

Count long-term welfare recipients

Count Asian

Count Black or African American

Count Hispanic or Latino of any race

Count American Indian or Alaska Native

Count Pacific islander

Count White

Count White not Hispanic

Count More than one race

Count Unknown race

Count another race

Percent Male

100.00

Percent No high school diploma or GED

29.00

Percent With a high school diploma or GED

71.00

Percent Married

55.00

Percent Employed

87.00

Percent general low-income population

100.00

Percent Black or African American

27.00

Percent Hispanic or Latino of any race

55.00

Percent White not Hispanic

12.00

Percent another race

6.00

Mean age

35.60

Study Characteristics

Group formation formatted

Recruiters searched for interested couples through various organizations, including health clinics, schools, child care programs, shopping malls, local churches, food banks, workforce centers, and other community-based centers or events. Once they identified couples, the recruiters arranged an appointment for each couple to meet with an intake specialist at The Parenting Center. The intake specialist checked that the couple met the eligibility requirements, including being 18 or older, reporting they were in a committed relationship, were not currently experiencing domestic violence, and at least one member of the couple had a biological or adopted child who was younger than 18 and lived with that member of the couple at least half of the time. The specialist then called Mathematica's survey center to have the couple provide informed consent and participate in a baseline survey. The couple was then randomly assigned, with 482 couples assigned to the intervention group that received the Empowering Families intervention and 397 couples assigned to the comparison group. The unit of assignment was at the couple level, and the unit of analysis was at the individual level.

Study timing formatted

The intervention was studied for about three years, from the time of study enrollment starting in September 2016 and lasting until the final follow-up survey conducted in December 2019.

Implementing organization formatted

The Parenting Center, a community-based nonprofit organization that delivers social services, implemented the Empowering Families program.

Treatment condition formatted

The Empowering Families program provided a range of services to parenting couples with low incomes in the Fort Worth, TX area. The program offered couples eight workshops that combined the Family Wellness curriculum on healthy marriage and relationship education with job assistance and financial literacy services. Couples received case management to help them navigate the program and access community support services. Career counselors provided job readiness services, such as resume and interview training, and job placement assistance. Financial coaches also provided couples with support identifying financial goals and creating a plan to reach these goals.

Comparison condition formatted

Comparison group participants were not offered the Empowering Families program, but they were free to seek other services available to them in the community.

Mandatory services formatted

None

Setting details formatted

The Empowering Families program took place at the Parenting Center, a community-based organization in Fort Worth, TX.

Delivered by public or private entity?

Public

Secondary domains examined

Relationship quality; Co-parenting; Relationship status; Family economic well-being; Money management; Intimate partner violence; Emotional well-being

Citations/manuscripts

Earliest publication year

2020

Most recent publication year

2021

Manuscripts

37958.01

90073

SRG File Path

http://example.com

Check edits flag

Primary Service

Case management

Subgroup data - Hispanic