Goodwill of Central Texas: A 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). Study enrollment began on April 1, 2021, and continued through March 1, 2024. The sample size for the study was 395. The goal of the Fatherhood Works program, as with many Goodwill programs, was to open opportunities for unemployed or under-employed fathers/father figures and to strengthen the relational bonds among community families of the Austin Metropolitan Area. The program was designed to achieve this goal by engaging community individuals in workshops on parenting, domestic violence prevention, and employment skills while also providing support services tailored to participants’ specific needs, including job search assistance, financial planning, career counseling, and occupational skills training. The primary research questions for this study, framed by a descriptive design, are as follows: 1) How did parenting behavior measures change from program enrollment to 1 year after enrollment? 2) How did co-parenting behavior measures change from program enrollment to 1 year after enrollment? The secondary research questions for this study, framed by a descriptive design, are as follows: 1) How did parenting attitude measures change from program enrollment to immediately following program completion? 2) How did employment attitude measures change from program enrollment to 1 year after enrollment? Implementation study research questions are as follows: a) To what extent are primary workshops offered to and received by program participants? b) To what extent are program services offered to and received by program participants? c) To what extent did the CQI Team carry out the steps in the CQI Plan each program year? Clients recruited for the program included both male and female participants aged 18 and older. Although the program was initially designed to support fathers and father figures, Goodwill intentionally extended enrollment opportunities to women to promote inclusivity and broaden access to services. As a result, the study sample reflected this expanded program population, with women comprising 48% of enrolled participants. To comply with OFA requirements, all participants needed to be a parent or guardian to a child under the age of 25. Paired t-tests were conducted on continuous constructs using timepoint 1 (nFORM Entrance, OLLE Pre) and timepoint 2 (nFORM Exit, OLLE Post, OLLE Follow-Up) data. For categorical variables—such as yes/no questions about having a checking or savings account or a resume—McNemar’s chi-square tests were used to compare pre- to post-test differences in proportions. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05, and no adjustments for multiple comparisons were made. Tests were reported in terms of p-values. Study results showed that parenting attitudes and co-parenting behavior remained largely unchanged while parenting behavior saw a significant increase. Regarding employment attitudes, provision confidence remained stable whereas skills confidence experienced a notable rise. Thus, the most substantial gains occurred in parenting behavior and employment skills confidence.