Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-25wd4 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-29T16:30:46.845Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chapter 11 - Reaching and Serving Underrepresented Families

The Necessity of Engaging Fathers in Extension Programming

from Part III - Looking Ahead: Emerging Issues and Trends

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 March 2024

By
Kerrie Fanning ,
Jiwon Yoon  and
Margaret L. Kerr
Edited by
Maria Rosario T. de Guzman  and
Holly Hatton
Maria Rosario T. de Guzman
Affiliation:
University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Holly Hatton
Affiliation:
University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Get access

Summary

Extension is uniquely positioned to reach and support underserved and underrepresented families. Although Extension excels at providing evidence-based programming for mothers, children, and youth, it has generally been less successful in engaging fathers. Recent evidence finds increased balanced sharing of caregiving responsibilities and fathers’ desire to engage with their children. Engaging fathers and incorporating father-centric programming is more important than ever. This chapter will highlight promising strategies for engaging fathers in Extension, including an example of a statewide needs assessment, technology-based programming, and community-based partnerships. We describe available evidence-based programs and approaches, both currently utilized with fathers and aptly positioned to accommodate fathers, along with promising opportunities and important considerations for Extension moving forward. Shifting the focus to better serve fathers in family-based programming will better engage and support underserved and vulnerable families, and Extension is a system that is critically important for meeting this challenge.

Keywords

Extensionunderserved populationsengagementfathersfather engagementfamilieschildren
Type
Chapter
Information
Extension Education and the Social Sciences
Uplifting Children, Youth, Families, and Communities
 , pp. 224 - 245
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alameda County Father Corps. (2014). Father-friendly principles for agencies and organizations in Alameda county. www.first5alameda.org/files/Fathers_Corps/Alameda_County_Fathers_Corps_-_Father_Friendly_Principles_Sheet.pdfGoogle Scholar
Allport, B. S., Johnson, S., Aqil, A., Labrique, A. B., Nelson, T., KC, A., Carabas, Y., & Marcell, A. V. (2018). Promoting father involvement for child and family health. Academic Pediatrics, 18(7), 746–753. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2018.03.011Google Scholar
Altenburger, L. E., Schoppe-Sullivan, S. J., & Kamp Dush, C. M. (2018). Associations between maternal gatekeeping and fathers’ parenting quality. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 27, 2678–2689. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-018-1107-3Google Scholar
Amato, P. R., Kane, J. B., & James, S. (2011). Reconsidering the “good divorce.” Family Relations, 60(5), 511–524. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2011.00666.xGoogle Scholar
Amodia-Bidakowska, A., Laverty, C., & Ramchandani, P. G. (2020). Father-child play: A systematic review of its frequency, characteristics and potential impact on children’s development. Developmental Review, 57, 100924. https://doi.org/f79vGoogle Scholar
Arditti, J., & McGregor, C. M. (2019). A family perspective: Caregiving and family contests of children with an incarcerated parent. In Eddy, J. M. & Poehlmann-Tynan, J. (Eds.), Handbook on children with incarcerated parents (2nd ed., pp. 117–130). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16707-3_9Google Scholar
Austin, W. G., Fieldstone, L., & Pruett, M. K. (2013). Bench book for assessing parental gatekeeping in parenting disputes: Understanding the dynamics of gate closing and opening for the best interests of children. Journal of Child Custody, 10(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/15379418.2013.778693Google Scholar
Barker, B., Iles, J. E., & Ramchandani, P. G. (2017). Fathers, fathering and child psychopathology. Current Opinion in Psychology, 15, 87–92. https://doi.org/gdrbbsGoogle Scholar
Barrett, H., & Tasker, F. (2001). Growing up with a gay parent: Views of 101 gay fathers on their sons’ and daughters’ experiences. Educational and Child Psychology, 18(1), 62–77.Google Scholar
Bassuk, E. L. (2010). Ending child homelessness in America. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 80(4), 496–504. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-0025.2010.01052.xGoogle Scholar
Becher, E. H., Mcguire, J. K., McCann, E. M., Powell, S., Cronin, S. E., & Deenanath, V. (2018). Extension-based divorce education: A quasi-experimental design study of the Parents Forever program. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 59(8), 633–652. https://doi.org/f8rqGoogle Scholar
Bronte-Tinkew, J., Burkhauser, M., & Metz, A. J. R. (2012). Elements of promising practices in fatherhood programs: Evidence-based research findings on interventions for fathers. Fathering, 10(1), 6–30. https://doi.org/10.3149/fth.1001.6Google Scholar
Cabrera, N. J., Fitzgerald, H. E., Bradley, R. H., & Roggman, L. (2014). The ecology of father‐child relationships: An expanded model. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 6(4), 336–354. https://doi.org/10.1111/jftr.12054Google Scholar
Carbone, S., Fraser, A., Ramburuth, R., & Nelms, L. (2004) Breaking cycles, building futures. Promoting inclusion of vulnerable families in antenatal and universal early childhood services: A report on the first three stages of the project. Victorian Government Department of Human Services.Google Scholar
Carroll, M. (2018). Gay Fathers on the margins: Race, class, marital status, and pathway to parenthood. Family Relations, 67(1), 104–117. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12300Google Scholar
Casares, D. R., Jr. (2022) Embracing the podcast era: Trends, opportunities, & implications for counselors. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 17(1), 123–138. https://doi.org/10.1080/15401383.2020.1816865Google Scholar
Choi, J., & Pyun, H. (2014). Nonresident fathers’ financial support, informal instrumental support, mothers’ parenting, and child development in single-mother families with low income. Journal of Family Issues, 35(4), 526–546. https://doi.org/f79wGoogle Scholar
Coady, N., Hoy, S., & Cameron, G. (2013). Fathers’ experiences with child welfare services. Child and Family Social Work, 18(3), 275–284. https://doi.org/f45sp2Google Scholar
Concha, M., Villar, M. E., Tafur-Salgado, R., Ibanez, S., & Azevedo, L. (2016). Fatherhood education from a cultural perspective: Evolving roles and identities after a fatherhood intervention for Latinos in South Florida. Journal of Latinos and Education, 15(3), 170–179. https://doi.org/10.1080/15348431.2015.1099532Google Scholar
Costa, L. L. F., Esteves, A. B. D., Kreimer, R., Stuchiner, N., & Hannikainen, I. (2019). Gender stereotypes underlie child custody decisions. European Journal of Social Psychology, 49(3), 548–559. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2523Google Scholar
Davison, K. K., Charles, J. N., Khandpur, N., & Nelson, T. J. (2017). Fathers’ perceived reasons for their underrepresentation in child health research and strategies to increase their involvement. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 21(2), 267–274. https://doi.org/f9ttd9Google Scholar
Eddy, J. M., Kjellstrand, J., Martinez, C. R., Jr., & Newton, R. (2019). Theory-based multimodal parenting intervention for incarcerated parents and their families. In Eddy, J. M. & Poehlmann, J. (Eds.), Children of incarcerated parents: A handbook for researchers and practitioners. Urban Institute Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Edison Research and Triton Digital. (2020). The infinite dial 2020. www.edisonresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/The-Infinite-Dial-2020-from-Edison-Research-and-Triton-Digital.pdfGoogle Scholar
Fagan, J. (2014). Adolescent parents’ partner conflict and parenting alliance, fathers’ prenatal involvement, and fathers’ engagement with infants. Journal of Family Issues, 35(11), 1415–1439. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X13491411Google Scholar
Fagan, J., Cherson, M., Brown, C., & Vecere, E. (2015). Pilot study of a program to increase mothers’ understanding of dads. Family Process, 54, 581–589. https://doi.org/f79xGoogle Scholar
Fagan, J., Henson, A., & Pearson, J. (2021). Low-income mothers’ participation in the Understanding DadsTM intervention and changes in self-reported coparenting. Journal of Family Social Work, 24(3), 199–218. https://doi.org/f79zGoogle Scholar
Fisher, S. D. (2017). Paternal mental health: Why is it relevant? American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 11(3), 200–211. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827616629895Google Scholar
Fitzgerald, H. E., Klitzing, K. V., Cabrera, N. J., Scarano de Mendonça, J., & Skjøthaug, T. (Eds.). (2020). Handbook of fathers and child development: Prenatal to preschool. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-51027-5Google Scholar
Fletcher, R., May, C., Lambkin, F., Gemmill, A. W., Cann, W., Nicholson, J. M., Rawlinson, C., Milgrom, J., Highet, N., Foureur, M., Bennett, E., & Skinner, G. (2017). SMS4dads: Providing information and support to new fathers through mobile phones–a pilot study. Advances in Mental Health, 15(2), 121–131. https://doi.org/f792Google Scholar
Goldberg, A. E., Allen, K. R., & Carroll, M. (2020). “We don’t exactly fit in, but we can’t opt out”: Gay fathers’ experiences navigating parent communities in schools. Journal of Marriage and Family, 82(5), 1655–1676. https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12695Google Scholar
Goldberg, W. A., Tan, E., & Thorsen, K. L. (2009). Trends in academic attention to fathers, 1930–2006. Fathering, 7(2), 159–179. https://doi.org/10.3149/fth.0702.159Google Scholar
Harmon, D. K., & Perry, A. R. (2011). Fathers’ unaccounted contributions: Paternal involvement and maternal stress. Families in Society, 92(2), 176–182. https://doi.org/ggk4jwGoogle Scholar
Henry, J. B., Julion, W. A., Bounds, D. T., & Sumo, J. N. (2020). Fatherhood matters: An integrative review of fatherhood intervention research. Journal of School Nursing, 36(1), 19–32. https//10.1177/1059840519873380Google Scholar
Hew, K. F. (2009). Use of audio podcast in K-12 and higher education: A review of research topics and methodologies. Educational Technology Research and Development, 57, 333–357. https//doi.org/10.1007/s11423-008-9108-3Google Scholar
Irving Harris Foundation. (2018). Diversity-informed tenets for work with infants, children and families. https://diversityinformedtenets.org/the-tenets/english/Google Scholar
Kelly, J. M., Perseghin, A., Dow, A. W., Trivedi, S. P., Rodman, A., & Berk, J. (2022). Learning through listening: A scoping review of podcast use in medical education. Academic Medicine, 97(7), 1079–1085. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000004565Google Scholar
Kim, H., & Drake, B. (2018). Child maltreatment risk as a function of poverty and race/ethnicity in the USA. International Journal of Epidemiology, 47(3), 780–787. https://doi.org/gcxzsqGoogle Scholar
Kim, S. W., & Hill, N. E. (2015). Including fathers in the picture: A meta-analysis of parental involvement and students’ academic achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 107(4), 919–934. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000023Google Scholar
Kramer Holmes, E., Egginton, B. R., Hawkins, A. J., Robbins, N. L., & Shafer, K. (2020). Do responsible fatherhood programs work? A comprehensive meta-analytic study. Family Relations, 69(5), 967–982. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12435Google Scholar
Lechowicz, M. E., Jiang, Y., Tully, L. A., Burn, M. T., Collins, D. A. J., Hawes, D. J., Lenroot, R. K., Anderson, V., Doyle, F. L., Piotrowska, P. J., Frick, P. J., Moul, C., Kimonis, E. R., & Dadds, M. R. (2019). Enhancing father engagement in parenting programs: Translating research into practice recommendations. Australian Psychologist, 54(2), 83–89. https://doi.org/10.1111/ap.12361Google Scholar
Lee, J., & Schoppe-Sullivan, S. J. (2017). Resident fathers’ positive engagement, family poverty, and change in child behavior problems. Family Relations, 66(3), 484–496. https://doi.org/gfkk55Google Scholar
Lee, S. J., Yelick, A., Brisebois, K., & Banks, K. L. (2011). Low-income fathers’ barriers to participation in family and parenting programs. Journal of Family Strengths, 11(1), 1–16. https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/jfs/vol11/iss1/12Google Scholar
McBride, B. A., Curtiss, S. J., Uchima, K., Laxman, D. J., Santos, R. M., Weglarz-Ward, J., Dyer, W. J., Jeans, L. M., & Kern, J. (2017). Father involvement in intervention: Exploring the gap between service providers’ perceptions and practices. Journal of Early Intervention, 39(2), 71–87. https://doi.org/10.1177/1053815116686118Google Scholar
Mezulis, A. H., Hyde, J. S., & Clark, R. (2004). Father involvement moderates the effect of maternal depression during a child’s infancy on child behavior problems in kindergarten. Journal of Family Psychology, 18(4), 575–588. https://doi.org/dxk22gGoogle Scholar
Miller, D. P., Thomas, M. M. C., Waller, M. R., Nepomnyaschy, L., & Emory, A. D. (2020). Father involvement and socioeconomic disparities in child academic outcomes. Journal of Marriage and Family, 82(2), 515–533. https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12666Google Scholar
Millett, G. A., Jones, A. T., Benkeser, D., Baral, S., Mercer, L., Beyrer, C., Honermann, B., Lankiewicz, E., Mena, L., Crowley, J. S., Sherwood, J., & Sullivan, P. S. (2020). Assessing differential impacts of COVID-19 on black communities. Annals of Epidemiology, 47, 37–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annepidem.2020.05.003Google Scholar
Morawska, A., Tometzki, H., & Sanders, M. R. (2014). An evaluation of the efficacy of a Triple P – Positive Parenting Program podcast series. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 35(2), 128–137. https://doi.org/10.1097/DBP.0000000000000020Google Scholar
Murphey, D., & Cooper, P. M. (2015). Parents behind bars: What happens to their children? Child Trends. www.childtrends.org/publications/parents-behind-bars-what-happens-to-their-childrenGoogle Scholar
National Institutes of Health. (2020). Underrepresented populations in the U.S. biomedical, clinical, behavioral and social sciences research enterprise. https://diversity.nih.gov/about-us/population-underrepresentedGoogle Scholar
Palkovitz, R., & Hull, J. (2018). Toward a resource theory of fathering. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 10(1), 181–198. https://doi.org/10.1111/jftr.12239Google Scholar
Panter-Brick, C., Burgess, A., Eggerman, M., McAllister, F., Pruett, K., & Leckman, J. F. (2014). Practitioner review: Engaging fathers – Recommendations for a game change in parenting interventions based on a systematic review of the global evidence. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 55(11), 1187–1212. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12280Google Scholar
Park, J. M., Fertig, A. R., & Metraux, S. (2011). Changes in maternal health and health behaviors as a function of homelessness. Social Service Review, 85(4), 565–586. https://doi.org/10.1086/663636Google Scholar
Peterson, B., Cramer, L., & Fontaine, J. (2019). Policies and practices for children of incarcerated parents: Summarizing what we know and do not know. In Eddy, M. J. & Poehlmann-Tynan, J. (Eds.), Handbook on children with incarcerated parents (2nd ed., pp. 331–343). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16707-3_22Google Scholar
Poehlmann-Tynan, J., & Turney, K. (2021). A developmental perspective on children with incarcerated parents. Child Development Perspectives, 15(1), 3–11. https://doi.org/f8rrGoogle Scholar
Roberts, D., Coakley, T. M., Washington, T. J., & Kelley, A. (2014). Fathers’ perspectives on supports and barriers that affect their fatherhood role. SAGE Open, 4(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244014521818Google Scholar
Rollins, L., & Boose, T. (2021). Engaging and working with African American fathers experiencing homelessness. In. Rollins, L. S. (Ed.), Engaging and working with African American fathers: Strategies and lessons (1st ed., pp. 122–131). Taylor & Francis.Google Scholar
Roy, K. M. (2014). Fathers and fatherhood. In Treas, J., Scoot, J., & Richards, M. (Eds.), The Wiley Blackwell companion to the sociology of families (1st ed., pp. 424–443). John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Schoppe-Sullivan, S. J., Brown, G. L., Cannon, E. A., Mangelsdorf, S. C., & Sokolowski, M. S. (2008). Maternal gatekeeping, coparenting quality, and fathering behavior in families with infants. Journal of Family Psychology, 22(3), 389–398. https://doi.org/dkxdnbGoogle Scholar
Semega, J., Kollar, M., Shrider, E. A., & Creamer, J. F. (2020). Income and poverty in the United States: 2019, Current Population Reports, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Government Publishing Office. www.census.gov/library/publications/2020/demo/p60-270.htmlGoogle Scholar
Stahlschmidt, M. J., Threlfall, J., Seay, K. D., Lewis, E. M., & Kohl, P. L. (2013). Recruiting fathers to parenting programs: Advice from dads and fatherhood program providers. Children and Youth Services Review, 35(10), 1734–1741. https://doi.org/f5drjxGoogle Scholar
Strand, K., Marullo, S., Cutforth, N. J., Stoecker, R., & Donohue, P. (2003). Principles of best practice for community-based research. Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning, 9(3), 5–15. https://digitalcommons.du.edu/rms_faculty/36Google Scholar
Sykes, B. L., & Pettit, B. (2014). Mass incarceration, family complexity, and the reproduction of childhood disadvantage. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 654(1), 127–149. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002716214526345Google Scholar
Tully, L. A., Collins, D. A. J., Piotrowska, P. J., Mairet, K. S., Hawes, D. J., Moul, C., Lenroot, R. K., Frick, P. J., Anderson, V. A., Kimonis, E. R., & Dadds, M. R. (2018). Examining practitioner competencies, organizational support and barriers to engaging fathers in parenting interventions. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 49(1), 109–122. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-017-0733-0Google Scholar
University of Minnesota Extension. (n.d.). Parents ForeverTM Curriculum. Retrieved April 26, 2021, from https://extension.umn.edu/divorce-and-other-family-transitions/parents-forevertm-curriculumGoogle Scholar
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Division of Extension. (n.d.). The Literacy Link: Connecting children and parents in justice-involved families. Retrieved April 26, 2021, from https://theliteracylink.extension.wisc.edu/Google Scholar
Vakrat, A., Apter-Levy, Y., & Feldman, R. (2018). Fathering moderates the effects of maternal depression on the family process. Development and Psychopathology, 30(1), 27–38. https://doi.org/10.1017/S095457941700044XGoogle Scholar
Wilson, G. B. (2006). The non-resident parental role for separated fathers: A review. International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family, 20(3), 286–316.Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×