TRANSITION TO FATHERHOOD: A HOPEFUL APPROACH TO

EENGAGEMENT

July 24, 2012

Urban Research Outreach-Engagement Center, Minneapolis, MN

First Time Fathers Study First Time Fathers Study

J ff Edl PhD • Jeffrey Edleson, PhD • Robert Wilson, MSW • Juliana Carlson, AM• Ericka Kimball, MSWEricka Kimball, MSW

A Research StoryA Research Story

Research LensResearch Lens• Transition to First Time Fatherhood

– Recognize transitions “within” fathering (Palkovitz & Palm, 2009)

• Hopeful or Strengths based approach– Engaging men in violence prevention study

(Carlson et al. under review)

• Prevention Focus (Macy et al., 2007)

Transition to Fatherhood

Value of fatherhood

Stressful transition

Fathers

Relationshipto Mother of child

excluded

(Condon, J. T., Boyce, P., & Corkindale, C. J., 2004; DeKlyen, 2007; Easterbrook, et al., 2007; Finnbogadottir et al., 2003; Leite, 2007; McMahon et al., 2007; Shannon & Abrams, 2007; Wells & Sarkadi, 2012); , ; , ; , ; , )

First Time Fathers Projectj

Community C lt tiCommunity

C lt tiConsultations with

Practitioners

Consultations with

Practitioners

Build Build knowledge to develop prevention

knowledge to develop prevention

Focus groups Focus groups

prevention intervention prevention intervention

with fathers & mothers

with fathers & mothers

COMMUNITY COMMUNITY CONSULTATIONS

Practitioners:Medical Service Providers

• Mostly prenatal care • Mother is “client” or “patient” – billing• Lack of father involvement• Very little information available for fathers• Screening for

– Domestic violence – limited– Depression

Practitioners:Community based & father focusedCommunity-based & father-focused

• Mother and father specific programs• Mother and father specific programs– Father – some court ordered—reactive to court

involvement

• Tend to serve new fathers or fathers of older children, not expectant

• One stop service is desired by men: parenting education, empowerment, leadership development, work training, and child support

Parents Engaged Parents Engaged

Expectant Parents New Parents Expectant Parents

• Medical Practitioners -birthing classes, prenatal

New Parents

• Mother and father specific programsg p

care• Mother is “client” or

“patient” billing

p g– Father – some court

ordered—reactive to court involvement patient – billing

• Lack of father involvement

• Tend to serve new fathers or fathers of older children

• Very little information available for fathers

children • Small variety of father

programsp g

PARENT FOCUS GROUPSPARENT FOCUS GROUPS

First Time FathersFirst Time Fathers• First Time Fathers Study

– Assess Available Formal and Informal Supports for Fathers

• What are Barriers to Obtaining Support

• What interventions would be desired

– Arizona Social Support ppInterview Schedule

• Measure of Social Support– Available & Utilized Network

SizeS t S ti f ti– Support Satisfaction

– Support Need

Samplep• Father Focus Groups

(6 47 d d )(6 groups, 47 dads)– Recruited from Four Father

Serving Programsg g– Marital Status

• Single - 14%• Married/ Partnered – 83%Married/ Partnered 83%

• Mother Focus Groups (2 groups, 10 moms)( g p , )

Findings From Focus Groups

• Fathers Trying to Understand their Role as • Fathers Trying to Understand their Role as Fathers

• Central Importance of a Father’s Family Central Importance of a Father s Family Network

• Maintaining a Healthy Relationship with g y pParenting Partners

• Fathers Supporting Fathers• Social Gatekeeping and the Construction of

Dads

Fathers Trying to Understand their Role as Fathers

• Transition to Fatherhood complex experience• Father as provider of what?

– Income and financial matters often mentioned as primary challenge for fathers.challenge for fathers.

– Caring role important– mothers’ perspective• Father not an ATM

• Wanting to be a good example/be a good father• Wanting to be a good example/be a good father– “I was excited about it because, like I said, if it’s something I can take care of… you

know, like I said, every time I was nervous, I was like, “man am I going to set a good example? Am I going to be able to provide for her like she needs?” It had me really worried, but I had a lot of people there to help me out; mom, her whole family, a friend that I had up here…I didn’t want to turn to nobody and ask for nothing. But, it was like, ok, I got a child. I’m going to have to let that pride down a little and start asking for help and start asking for advice and whatnot.”

Fathers Trying to Understand…Fathers Trying to Understand…

• Unsure of where to go and/or what to do– “And us, as young men, we might not have all the knowledge that you

might not know where to reach out to. Just think about if you’re justmight not know where to reach out to. Just think about if you re just starting out, like damn, I can’t see my son at all. Where can I go to find my rights? Or my baby momma moved out of town. What am I to do?”

– “Mine is having a role model. It’s hard for me to be a good dad. You don’t know what it is. You’re just learning day by day.”

– “I gotta get passed the fact that my dad wasn’t around at all. Men who are good dads had their dad around when they were younger Momare good dads had their dad around when they were younger. Mom giving me advise, setting me up for manhood, telling me about the challenges that are out here when you’re a man, when you’re no longer living at home.”

Central Importance of Fathers’ Family Network

F il t i k d t • Family support is key and most important

“F il i ’t l t th lik– “Family ain’t never gonna leave you out there like that. But, you might have to jump over a few hurdles to get stuff that you need, like seek it out. g y ,You might have to call your distant auntie, or something... your uncle you ain’t saw in a while, or something Never know I mean immediatesomething. Never know. I mean, immediate family, I would think they would always be there to help like that.”

Maintaining a Healthy Relationship with Parenting Partners

• Challenges & maintenance of relationship with g pmother of child

– “I mean, because when you’re in a relationship with your girlfriend and ya’ll got the kid, there are certain things that’s gonna come up that might make you

b t ’ll h t it t d t t t l th t targue, but ya’ll have to see it eye to eye and try to… most people, they try to stick it together with their girl. But, you can only do that so much, though…So like when something comes up, it’s pulling ya’ll apart. And it’s a challenge ‘cause you wanna be there, but it’s like “man, I ain’t f------ with her. And when you do that, they get spiteful and take control with the child Yeah you can’t see the kid It’s athey get spiteful and take control with the child. Yeah, you can t see the kid. It s a pawn.”

– “And then I had…keeping relationship with spouse healthy; not always a lot of time with each other. I remember one time, a parent, when I was a new parent, said something to me that having kids in a lot of ways sort of deprives thesaid something to me that... having kids in a lot of ways sort of deprives the things that can make for a healthy relationship. You know, time together, time apart. So, that’s been a big challenge. Just keep that relationship healthy so that it’s not just the two of us raising kids, but that we’re still in a loving relationship.”p

Fathers Supporting FathersFathers Supporting Fathers• Fathers Supporting Fathers

– Time with other fathers (Formal and Informal Settings)• “Having other parents that are going through the same thing at the same

time. Like I ask my mom ‘what’d you do when this happened?’ [and] She’s like ‘Well that was thirty some years ago ’ She either doesn’t remember orlike Well that was thirty some years ago. She either doesn t remember or she’s got rose-colored glasses on. So it’s just nice to have someone [say to me] ‘yeah, I did this last year with my three year old.’ Honestly, it’s not even just other parents, it’s guys who are parents”

– Limited availability of and/or access to formal supports with father specific programming.

• “Basically the same thing. I mean, not probably exact the same thing, but, being able to reach a goal to where we’re trying to reach being a father andbeing able to reach a goal to where we re trying to reach being a father, and somebody there that can help us get to that point. As long as that’s there, you gonna get more people drawn in. There really ain’t a program like that out there. You can only go certain places.”

Social Gatekeeping and the Construction of Dads

• Social Norms/Expectationsp– “Seems like they [women groups] just form naturally and the

dad groups, it takes them effort. And then, just the societal expectations. It’s kind of a double-edged sword. It’s kind of p gnice that both, women don’t yell at me when my child’s screaming in the grocery store because I’m doing it wrong, because they’re just happy to see a dad with a child. But, at the same time, at the park, going out trying to make friends and getting some of that societal pressure and it’s just not quite the norm yet or accepted as the norm…”

Social Gatekeeping and the Construction of Dads

• Negative Perceptions of Men/Fathersg p– “I find that it’s really annoying and frustrating to have basically alienation from other

groups. So, basically, if you go to meetup.com or something like that, you’ll see it’s like “book clubs. Women only” or “St. Paul Moms…” or something like that. You’ll see ton of moms groups and some of them are fine with having guys in them but thenton of moms groups and some of them are fine with having guys in them but, then, there’s a whole bunch of them that’ll say “no guys” or whatever . Things like that. Come to find out, I’ve heard through groups that it’s nothing but like husband-bashing at most of those, anyways, from other people whose wives are in there. The other thing that annoys me is that- I think this is somewhat in general- but there’s a lot ofthing that annoys me is that I think this is somewhat in general but there s a lot of stigma behind… not just stay-at-home dad, but dads in general that “hey, you got dead-beat dad here” and you’ll see these billboards driving down the highway that’ll say “be a father.” Things like this. And I think it gives people a bad rap and I think it’s just a lot of it is just more I think there’s a lot of people that don’t realize thatit s just a lot of it is just more… I think there s a lot of people that don t realize that there are dads that stay at home and take care of kids, too. You know, it’s not just stay-at-home mom, or as some people call it Suzie-soccer-mom. There’s a lot of dads that do it and I think there’s a lot of people out there that don’t realize that... “

“A lot of hands need to help ”help…”

Implications Fathers perceive formal

Family and Friends

Fathers perceive formal support as inaccessible and inadequate due to lack of services, unfamiliarity with available services, or father

Fathers

Social Services

Emotional Support

disinterest in available services.

Informal supports are key but formal programmatic support is

i t t f t tan important safety net.

Connecting fathers with peers seems to be a core desire for men.

Financial/ Economic

Parenting Information

Support for developing and maintaining healthy co-parenting relationships should be emphasis.

Ideas for Transition to Fatherhood Program

• “Being a Dad” classes

RESIDENTIAL & NON /PROGRAM-ENGAGED

FATHERS

RESIDENTIAL & NON /PROGRAM-ENGAGED

FATHERS • Budgetingg• more than Child

Support/Employment classes

• child development• co-parenting

• Recreate the program they are engaged in• Time with other fathers• Get support

FATHERSFATHERS g g• Activities to do with child• “Knowledge”• Education• Job research

• early literacy

MOTHERSMOTHERS

pp• Find out about resources

NON-RESIDENTIAL/NON-

PROGRAM ENGAGED FATHERS

NON-RESIDENTIAL/NON-

PROGRAM ENGAGED FATHERSFATHERSFATHERS

Implications for Practitioners & Programs

Messages to Individual/Staff d l i

Balance outreach and AdditionalMessages to

expectant and new fathers

underlying beliefs and

experiences

outreach and care to

mothers and fathers

Additional dialogue &

training

Overall ImplicationsOverall Implications

• Social Change• Social Change• Engage fathers &

mothers as co-creatorscreators

• Hopeful approach• Multi-level approach

Spectrum of Prevention pI N F L U E N C I N G P O L I C Y A N D L E G I S L AT I O N

C H A N G I N G O R G A N I Z AT I O N A L P R A C T I C E S

F O S T E R I N G C O A L I T I O N S A N DF O S T E R I N G C O A L I T I O N S A N D N E T W O R K S

E D U C AT I N G P R O V I D E R SE D U C AT I N G P R O V I D E R S

P R O M O T I N G C O M M U N I T Y E D U C AT I O N

S T R E N G T H E N I N G I N D I V I D U A L K N O W L E D G E A N D S K I L L S

Thank you!!Thank you!!

All it • All community partners, community community consultants and the fathers and mothers who participated in the

t d study.

ReferencesCarlson, J., Casey, E. & Edleson, J.E., Tolman, R.M., Neugut, T.B., & Kimball, E. (Under Review). Strategies to engage men and

boys in preventing violence: A Global Organizational Perspective. Condon, J. T., Boyce, P., & Corkindale, C. J. (2004). The First-Time Fathers Study: a prospective study of the mental health and

wellbeing of men during the transition to parenthood. Australian & New Zealand Journal Of Psychiatry, 38(1/2), 56-64.g g p y y ( )Easterbrooks, M.A., Barrett, L.R., Brady, A.E., & Davis, C.R. (2007). Complexities in Research on Fathering: Illustrations from the

Tufts Study of Young Fathers. Applied Developmental Science,11 (4), 214-220. Huebner, R.A., Werner, M., Hartwig, S., White, S. & Shewa, D. (2008) Engaging fathers: needs and satisfaction in child protective

services. Administration in Social Work, 32 (2), 87–103.Leite, R. (2007). An exploration of aspects of boundary ambiguity among young, unmarried fathers during the prenatal period. Family

Relations, 56(2), 162-174. Macy, R. J., Martin, S. M., Kupper, L., Casanueva, C., & Guo, S. (2007). Partner violence before, during, and after pregnancy: Multiple

opportunities for intervention. Women’s Health Issues, 17(5), 290-299.McMahon, T. J., Winkel, J. D., Suchman, N. E., & Rounsaville, B. J. (2007). Drug-abusing fathers: Patterns of pair bonding,

reproduction, and paternal involvement. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 33(3), 295-302.P lk it R & P l G (2009) T iti ithi f th i F th i 7(1) 3 22Palkovitz, R. & Palm, G. (2009) Transitions within fathering. Fathering, 7(1), 3-22. Plantin, L. Olukoya, A. A. & Ny, P. (2011). Positive health outcomes of fathers'’ involvement in pregnancy and childbirth paternal

support: A scope study literature review. Fathering, 9(1), 87-102. Prember, A, Hellstrom, A, & Berg, M. (2008). Experiences of the first year as father. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 22, 56-

63.Shannon S K & Abrams L S (2007) Juvenile offenders as fathers: Perceptions of fatherhood crime and becoming an adultShannon, S.K. & Abrams, L.S.(2007). Juvenile offenders as fathers: Perceptions of fatherhood, crime, and becoming an adult.

Families in Society, 88(2), 183-191. Wells, M. & Sarkadi, A (2012). Do father-friendly policies promote father-friendly child-rearing practices? A review of Swedish parental

leave and child health centers. Journal of Children and Family Studies, 21, 25-31.