All in Dads Father-focused, Interconnected, Resilient, and Essential (FIRE) Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood (HMRF) Study

This study was in response to Grant Number HHS-2020-ACF-OZA-ZJ-1846 from the Office of Family Assistance (OFA) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). <br /><br />

The purpose of the study was to help fathers establish and strengthen their relationship with their children and the mothers of their children; to reduce domestic violence in vulnerable families; to improve economic stability of fathers through comprehensive job-driven career services; to employ intensive case management barrier removal, individual job coaching, and comprehensive family development to improve short and long-term outcomes. All participants in the program received the same services in the descriptive study and were surveyed at baseline (enrollment), after completing the program, and 12 months from their enrollment date. <br /><br />

Study enrollment began on April 1, 2021, and continued through March 1, 2024. The sample size for the study was 720.<br /><br />

<b>The study had the following primary research questions</b>:<br />

Will participants report significantly healthier parenting behavior one year after completing primary educational services and employment support services?<br /><br />

Will participants report significantly healthier co-parenting behavior one year after completing primary educational services and employment support services? <br /><br />

<b>The study had the following secondary research questions</b>:<br />

Will participants report significantly healthier financial behavior one year after completing primary educational services and employment support services?<br /><br />

Will participants report significantly healthier parenting attitudes after completing primary educational services and employment support services? <br /><br />

Participants in the study resided in Franklin County, Ohio. The average age of participants was 36, and just over half reported that they were single. Over half of participants reported having two or more children under the age of 24. The average age of their youngest child was almost six years of age. Nearly all participants were male. Three-fourths of participants were Black or African American. About 60% of participants had at least temporary or occasional employment. <br /><br />

The study had high item-level attrition that the researchers believe was due to applicability of the items for participants rather than participating's choosing to skip surveys. For example, less than half of participants lived with their child(ren), and over a third reported on the 12-month follow-up survey that they had not seen their child in the past month. Despite attrition rates, the study resulted in statistically significant findings at the 0.01 level for parenting behavior measures and financial behavior measures (yes/no item asking if participants had a savings and checking account at baseline and at 12-month follow-up). The co-parenting measures were statistically significant at the 0.05 level. Finally, the parenting attitudes measure was not statistically significant, but showed improvement from baseline to program completion.