The YVPC Fathers and Sons Program

Cassandra L. Brooks, MSACassandra L. Brooks, MSACleopatra Howard Caldwell, PhDCleopatra Howard Caldwell, PhD

andandThe Fathers and Sons Steering CommitteeThe Fathers and Sons Steering Committee

Youth Violence Prevention CenterYouth Violence Prevention CenterFlint, MI & the University of MichiganFlint, MI & the University of Michigan

2012 Genesee County Health Department 2012 Genesee County Health Department Public Health ConferencePublic Health Conference

April 3, 2012April 3, 2012

WHY ARE FATHERS SO IMPORTANT?

Father Involvement and Benefits to ChildrenParenting and Men’s Health

The Flint Fathers and Sons Project

The Flint Fathers and Sons Project The Flint Fathers and Sons Project Community PartnersCommunity Partners

Flint Odyssey House-Health Awareness Center

Flint/Genesee County Neighborhood Roundtable

Faith Access to Community Economic Development (FACED)

Flint Community Schools

Genesee County Community Action Resource Department

Genesee County Health Department

Individual Community Representatives

University of Michigan-Flint

CBPR Methodological Approach

F athers an d Son s P ro jec t In p ut Ch art

L ite ra tu re R e v iew& C o m m u n ity E xp e rtise

In te rve n tionG ro u ps

F o cu s G ro u ps

S te e rin g C o m m itteeC B O s , H ea lth D e p t., U M -S P H

“Motivating Change: Encouraging Interdisciplinary Approaches to Bridging Academic Inquiry & Public Reality”

The Flint Fathers and Sons Project

CBPR approach Equal partnership

Local health department, CBOs, University

Project Purpose To develop a culturally relevant youth preventive intervention to enhance

relationships between non-resident African American fathers and their 8 to 12 year old sons in an effort to:

prevent or reduce substance use, violent behavior and early sexual initiation among sons and

encourage health promoting behaviors (i.e., help-seeking and physical activity) in both.

Lessons Learned

Nonresident African American fathers can be effectively involved in their sons’ lives.

Positive father involvement with sons is associated with positive outcomes for sons and fathers.

Nonresident African American fathers can improve their parenting skills through interventions that address their needs.

Addressing cultural context is critical for creating a safe environment for African American fathers and sons to participate in intervention programs.

“I feel so great because I’m hanging out with my dad,

thank you Lord.” — African American son and participant

in the Fathers and Sons Project

The YVPC Fathers and Sons Program African American father-son families

10–14 year old boys

Resident and nonresident fathers

Biological and father figures Mother/guardian consent

YVPC geographic area requirement for sons

Program Implementation Conduct two groups annually 10 father-son families per group

Total of 100 families

Program held at CBO, Trained Facilitators

Fathers and sons are paid to complete evaluation questionnaires

Intervention Description

10 sessions over 6 weeks

Meet 2 times per week

27 hours Intervention Sessions Homework Community events Evaluation interviews

One 4-month booster session

Intervention Content Areas Diversity among families

Personal relationships & responsibilities parental monitoring, role modeling, race socialization

Parent-child communication general & risky behaviors

Social support – within & outside family

Develop parenting & refusal skills

[Caldwell, C.H., Zimmerman, M.A., & Isichei, A.C. (2001). Forging collaborative partnerships to enhance family health: An assessment of strengths and challenges in conducting community-based research. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 7, 1-9.]

Be Proud of You!

Think about your

Strengths

Recognize your

contributions to

society!

Learn about your culture

Concluding Remarks Recruitment

Families

Facilitators

Interviewers

Implementation Schedule

Expected Program Benefits

Contact Information fathersandsons@umich.edu

Summary of Findings for Fathers Intervention improved fathers’:

Parental monitoring

Race-related socialization behaviors

Communication about sex with sons

Parenting skills satisfaction

Intentions to communicate in the future with sons

Fathers request for professional help with problematic drinking behaviors

[Caldwell, C.H., Rafferty, J., Reischl, T., De Loney, E.H., & Brooks, C.L. (2010). Enhancing parenting skills among non-resident African American fathers as a strategy for preventing youth risky behaviors. American Journal of Community Psychology, 45, 17-35. ]

 

Summary of Findings for Sons Intervention effects were found for:

Perceptions of more monitoring by father

More communication about sex with fathers

Intentions to avoid violence in the future

Changing fathers parenting behaviors reduces aggressive behaviors in sons

Reducing aggressive behaviors in sons is associated with their intentions to avoid violent behaviors in the future

[Caldwell, C.H., Rafferty, J., Reischl, T., De Loney, E.H., & Brooks, C.L. (2010). Enhancing parenting skills among non-resident African American fathers as a strategy for preventing youth risky behaviors. American Journal of Community Psychology, 45, 17-35. ; Caldwell et al., 2012]

Take Home Messages

Non-resident fathers should not be overlooked as a source of support and protection for African American boys.

With non-resident families, every moment is a teachable moment for fathers to share their values and expectations with their sons, and vise versa.

Consider the environment of non-resident families when examining outcomes