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Study Name
Fathers at Work Initiative—versus Fathers from the Fragile Families Survey Public Data Set
Study Sharepoint ID
3352.3352.02
Evaluation name
Fathers at Work Initiative
Intervention (standard name)
Strength of Evidence Tag
Reason for the Rating

This study received a low study quality rating because it is a quasi-experimental design 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 quasi-experimental design that does not adjust estimated impacts for potentially important differences between the intervention and comparison groups.

Populations targeted
Settings in which the intervention was studied
Percent Male
100.00
Percent Parents
100.00
Percent Non-Custodial Parents
100.00
Percent Employed
24.00
Percent Black or African American
79.00
Percent Hispanic or Latino of any race
19.00
Percent unknown race
2.00
Group formation formatted

Organizations with a history of working with low-income young men were required to develop partnerships with local child support agencies before enrolling noncustodial fathers into the intervention. Eligible participants were noncustodial fathers age 30 or younger who were earning less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Evaluators used propensity score matching to select two groups of noncustodial fathers from two data sets (one from the control group of another evaluation, the Parents' Fair Share demonstration, and one from the Fragile Families survey public data set) who were similar to the Fathers at Work participants in demographic variables such as age, race, criminal conviction status, work experience, and age of their child. This review focuses on the comparison between the intervention group and people from the Fragile Families survey public data set. A review elsewhere on this site focuses on the comparison between the intervention group and people from the Parents' Fair Share demonstration control group.

Study timing formatted

2001–2004

Study funding formatted

Charles Stewart Mott Foundation

Sample Characteristics

Fathers at Work participants were noncustodial fathers ages 30 or younger. In all, 79 percent were Black, and 70 percent had a high school diploma or GED. About 75 percent had been convicted of a crime, and 24 percent were employed at baseline.

Implementing organization formatted

Center for Employment Opportunities; Impact Services, Inc.; Rubison Programs, Inc.; Support and Training Result in Valuable Employees; Total Action Against Poverty; and Vocational Foundation, Inc., in cooperation with local child support agencies.

Program history

The program was piloted for six months to a year (depending on the site) before the evaluation.

Treatment condition formatted

The six Fathers at Work sites provided employment, fatherhood, and child support services. Employment services focused on short-term job readiness training and job search assistance. The sites also offered limited skills training and paid transitional work. Fatherhood services focused on peer support groups and workshops to teach parenting and communication skills. Child support services included information about the importance of providing formal child support, modifying child support orders, reducing penalties for arrears, and other services.

Comparison condition formatted

The comparison group were drawn using propensity score matching from the Fragile Families survey public data set, which includes a random sample of parents residing in cities with 200,000 or more people.

Mandatory services formatted

None

Timing of study formatted

About 12 months

Program funding formatted

Charles Stewart Mott Foundation

Setting details formatted

The programs operated in five cities: New York City, NY; Philadelphia, PA; Richmond, CA; Chicago, IL; and Roanoke, VA.

Secondary domains examined

Parenting and co-parenting;

Earliest publication year
2009
Most recent publication year
2009
Manuscripts
Check edits flag
No
Intervention Duration
12.00