Evaluation of the Brothers United Fatherhood Program

Overview

The Brothers United Fatherhood Program (BUFP) will be conducting an evaluation that builds on literature and existing research from the healthy marriage/responsible fatherhood initiatives developed by ACF over the last 10 years, in particular the Supporting Healthy Marriage Program initiative that established a randomized clinical trial. The Brothers United Fatherhood Program will provide important data to expand the area of fatherhood development with the target population. This program is funded through an initiative of the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance (OFA). The study is intended to measure if the identified interventions improve the well-being and relationship between targeted participants and their families. The study intends to focus on the following outcomes: * Demonstrate increased intake \& knowledge of systems that help fathers * Improvement in knowledge of employment \& learn new opportunities for economic mobility * Improvement communication \& empathy skills towards partner * Increase in understanding of healthy marriage \& its value to fathers * Demonstrate an understanding of financial planning * Demonstrate improved conflict resolution, behavior patterns, including those leading to domestic violence * Increase in reports of improved adult \& child relationships * Demonstrate an increase job readiness skills such as employment preparedness \& career direction

Do those who participate in the program result in more positive self-reported attitudes and behaviors than the control group relative to the following: 1. Improved healthy relationship and marriage skills. 2. Improved co-parenting skills 3. Increased frequency of father/child engagement 4. Increased financial responsibility of fathers 5. Progress toward a greater economic stability, including skill attainment and employment. 6. Reduce recidivism? This reflects intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis where all participants who are enrolled and randomly assigned to treatment are included in the analysis regardless of their adherence with the entry criteria, regardless of subsequent withdrawal from treatment or deviation from the protocol. This will preserve the pragmatic balance generated by the original random treatment allocation. Also, "per protocol analysis" will be conducted to evaluate if full project participation results in more positive self-reported attitudes and behaviors than the control group participants. What personal characteristics and other external factors are related to achieving successful outcomes in the program?