Daddies are Parents, Too: Involving Fathers in Early Intervention

1. Daddies are Parents, Too:Involving Fathers in Early Intervention Jean Ann Summers, Ph.D. Beach Center on Disability University of Kansas

2. Information for today’s presentation comes from The Early Head Start Father Studies Administration on Children and Families, HHS National Institute for Child Health and Human Development Ford Foundation

3. Early Head Start Research Sites

4. Began in 1995; reports to Congress in 2001/2002 In 17 Early Head Start programs—about 1/3 center-based, 1/3 home-based, and 1/3 mixed-approach Experimental design—program and control group Followed 3,001 children and families from enrollment in program until child age 3 Pre-kindergarten follow up The Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project

5. Early Head Start Impacts on Children and Families Broad pattern of impacts: • On Children (cognitive, language, social-emotional development) • On Mothers (HOME scores, reading, spanking, supportiveness, self sufficiency) • Impacts strongest for those enrolling in pregnancy, African Americans, medium risk, programs implementing the performance standards, mixed approach • On children in interaction with fathers (more attentive and engaged) • On Fathers (less spanking, less intrusiveness)

6. Early Head Start Father Studies • Strands of Father Studies: • Father Interviews (12 Sites) • Father-Child Observations (7 Sites) • Qualitative Study • Practitioners Study • Study of Newborns (N = 268) • Funders: NICHD, ASPE, ACYF, Ford Foundation

7. The Questions for Today: • WHY do we care about father involvement? • WHAT do fathers think about involvement? • HOW can we encourage greater father involvement?

8. When we say “father involvement,” we really mean TWO things: Fathers being involved with their children . . . . . . AND . . . . . . fathers being involved with early intervention programs.

9. Why do we care about father involvement (part 1)?Poor Fathers Are NOT Missing—They Are Present and Involved

10. Most Early Head Start Children Had a Father or Father Figure in Their Lives Percentage Father Figure Present Biological Father Present No Father or Father Figure Present 36 Months, n=2,009

11. Biological Father’s Relationship with Child’s Mother Boyfriend/ Nonresident Percentage Married/ Nonresident 1 4 Unmarried/Resident Other Married/Resident Friend/ Nonresident None 36 Months, n=2,109

12. Father Presence/Absence Over Time # of Biological Fathers’ Present (based on maternal report): Birth (n=2,578); 1mo (n=2,404); 14mo (n=2,301); 24mo (n=2,185); 36mo (n=2,065)

13. Patterns of Biological Father Engagement: 24 Months ***Significantly different from Married at p<.001;“Read, Eat, Play daily”=father does activity with child every day

14. Why do We Care About Father Involvement (Part 2)? Fathers Matter for Children’s Development

15. Mothers’ and Fathers’ Play Behaviors with Children Were Very Similar Coded 36-Month Mother-Child and Father-Child Interactions (n = 234)

16. Child Characteristics and Parental Interactions at 24 Months Predicted Children’s 36-Month Cognitive Outcomes * * * * * * * * * * * * Beta * * * Pos Reg Cog Stim Neg Reg Intrusive Detach Sensitivity *p < .05, n=191

17. Child Characteristics and Parental Interactions at 24 Months Predicted Children’s 36-Month Social Outcomes * * * * * * * * * * Beta * * Pos Reg Cog Stim Neg Reg Intrusive Detach Sensitivity *p < .05, n=191

18. Father Education, Child Characteristics, and Parenting at 24 Months Predicted Children’s 36- Month Social Outcomes * * * * * * * * * * * Beta Pos Reg Cog Stim Neg Reg Intrusive Detach Sensitivity *p < .05, n=191

19. Why Do We Care About Father Involvement (Part 3)? Father Involvement in Programs Makes a Difference

20. Early Head Start Fathers Were More Involved in Program Activities than Control Fathers + p < .10, ** p < .01

21. Many Fathers Participated in Some Program Activity: A Few Were Highly Involved ** ** ** p < .01

22. Is Father Program Involvement Associated with Child and Fathering Outcomes? Average Bayley Scores and Level of Father Involvement in Programs N = 249 N = 194 N = 140

23. Is Father Program Involvement Associated with Fathering and Child Outcomes? • Fathers with more program involvement on 5-item scale: had children with higher child cognitive development*. These fathers also provided more HOME teaching* and had less parenting stress+, greater warmth*, and were more supportive in play and teaching their child+ (controlling for father education; whether resident, married, bio; EHS program). • Fathers who attended monthly home visits: provided greater supportive presence*; their children had higher cognitive development+. • Fathers who attended parent education > 2: had more HOME teaching+; more watch child+ and less parenting stress*. • Fathers who attended support groups >2: had more HOME teaching*; less parenting stress*. • Fathers who dropped off and picked up child from child care > 2: had higher cognitive development+; more HOME teaching*; less parenting stress+ and they watched their child more*. However, they also spanked more*. + p < .10; * p < .05

24. Program Involvement Summary • Nearly two-thirds of Early Head Start fathers and half of control group fathers participated in at least one program activity. • Married fathers and Hispanic fathers participated most. • Fathers who participated in more program activities were more involved with teaching their children, were warmer, more supportive, and less stressed.

25. What Do Fathers Think? (Part 1) Fathers Want an Active Role With Their Children

26. Questions for this Study • What are fathers’ perceptions of the role of a “good father”? • What are fathers’ goals for their children? • How do role perceptions and goals connect to suggest fathers’ intentions for their children?

27. Assumption: Most fathers do believe they influence their child • He’s my responsibility. Everything I do or don’t do affects my son, from interaction to him sleeping at night. Whatever I do will either positively or negatively affect him.

28. Method – Qualitative Studies of Father Interviews • EHS father study interviews included an embedded qualitative interview with fathers • These data include 590 audiotaped interviews of fathers at child’s age 24 months • Primary analyses involved coding transcripts in NUD*IST to sort responses in major categories

29. Data for today’s discussion were drawn from responses to questions: • What does being a good father mean to you? • What are some of the things that make you proud of your child? • What do you admire in children who are 5 years old? • If you could only teach your child one thing, what would it be?

30. Roles • Promoting stability and “being there” • Teaching and disciplining the child • Engaging in physical interaction and “spending time” • Providing emotional care and support

31. Goals • Growth, development, learning and education • Independence and self-reliance • Respect for self and others • Values (work ethic, religion, honesty) • Social skills, kindness, being liked

32. “Being There” Means -- • Financial support • Physical presence when child is in need • Secure and protective environment • Functional and stable partnership with mother

33. “Being There” is not always direct interaction: I: What are some of the things you do that make you feel like you're being a good father? R: Getting up when I don't feel like getting up; when I'm too tired to get up and going to work, that I make as much money as I can to see that the kids have what they need. Clothes, shoes, food, the necessities.

34. Goals for “Being There” • Secure and self-reliant • Independent, able to make a living • “Knowing her own mind” – not influenced by others • Self-respect and self-esteem • Kindness and compassion for others

35. I look at it in a sense of being there for him, knowing you’re meeting his needs . . . Especially with little boys. They have to see a male presence in their lives, someone in an authoritative role, but also someone they can come to when they’re afraid and unsure, . . . Anytime he feels something that feels bad he runs to me. He’s looking for that place where he’s safe.

36. Being there, making sure that I am seen by them, making sure they know that I'm behind them 100%, and that anything they do I want to be a part of. Letting them know and building their confidence, and make sure they feel okay about everything they do with no backlashes . . . She needs that established figure in her life-someone she can go to and talk to about anything, and someone she can depend on who gives her confidence to do what she needs to do.

37. “Teaching” Means -- • Being a role model or example • Taking children on outings or including in activities • Being consistent • Engaging with the child in his/her activities • Answering questions and listening

38. Goals for “Teaching” • Values – honesty, work ethic • Persistence, endurance, responsibility • Academic and vocational skills • Social skills and competence

39. Teaching Academics My biggest thing is education, so I want to try to keep her in that area right now—in a learning mode. This is the time to try and structure everything I possibly can around her growing up right now. So . . . She will have more of an open mind about things that might come up.

40. Teaching Social Skills I try to teach him to do things right instead of just getting away with everything. . . . I’m trying to teach him to be polite, to say “Please and thank you.” I want him to be independent, but I want him to have manners while he’s doing it. He says please and thank you a lot, which is good. That’s the most important thing.

41. Role Modeling . . . He likes to take things apart and fix them. It doesn’t always work out so well. I: Do you encourage him in that? R: Yes, even if he tears them up . . . That’s how everybody has to learn. I: Has he watched you do that? R: Yeah . . . That’s how kids learn most; they see the parent and they are going to act out pretty much what their parent does.

42. Teaching Independence I: If you could only teach him one thing what would it be? R: To be himself. Don’t let other people choose what he becomes. I want him to be able to grow up thinking for himself.

43. Teaching Self-Respect I: If you could only teach him one thing, what would it be? R: Just respect for himself . . . To know that there isn’t anything in this world that will stop him from doing what he really, really would like to do.

44. Teaching Respect for Others I try to set the example of respect for others. I teach my kids first to respect me as their father and my wife as their mother. If we don’t get respect I don’t see them giving respect to anyone else. How to treat other people is one of the main things I’m worried about now. If they don’t get that down now then they never will.

45. What Do Fathers Think? (Part 2) Fathers are Not So Sure About Being Involved in Programs

46. Fathers are reluctant to say they need supports or have barriers to being a “good father” • 48% of respondents said there were no barriers, no needs, and/or no supports (though most identified something when pushed). • Barriers listed tended to be practical (“time,” “job,” etc.)

47. Fathers may see “letting” something be a barrier as a weakness I: What are the little everyday things that get in the way of being the kind of father you want to be? R: (Emphatic) No, no, no. When it comes to a baby, nobody, nobody has no business letting anything get in the way when it comes to a baby. Nobody!

48. Fathers’ preferred sources of support are their wives and mothers. I: What helps you be the kind of father you want to be? R: As long as I got my wife. . .that's all the help I need because I don't ask for help from anybody but her and God. Those two are my helpers, besides myself.

49. Support from spouse or partner appears to be acceptable R: We do a lot of talking back and forth. I ask her if I'm doing this okay because I really don't know for sure. We do a lot of communicating back and forth, just trying to give me feedback on how I'm doing. It's still new to me; I'm still learning things. I guess that probably happens no matter how many kids you have. You're still gonna learn new things. That's just part of life. I: Does she give you encouragement or tell you when you're doing things good? R: Yeah. Usually she'll make a comment on how she doesn't think she could be a single parent. Usually when she comes back from taking him somewhere by herself; it's usually too much. She'll tell me to take him. I: She makes you feel needed as part of the family? R: Yeah.

50. Grandparents appear to have the “credentials” of experience: I: What kind of help or support do you get to do your job as a father? R: I get parental advice from my mom; she was the best, I always call her. I: Can you give me an example? R: Like sometimes if the kids aren't feeling well, I ask her about the best remedies and what she did when I was sick, how she handled it.