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New Mathematica Projects Strengthen Focus on Fatherhood and Family Support Programs
PRINCETON, NJ—December 13, 2011—Today's economy is straining America's most fragile families, who already face heightened vulnerability to economic and social problems, in ways not seen in generations. The 'Great Recession' has threatened traditional bulwarks of stability—steady employment, stable housing, even adequate nutrition—putting low-income parents, teens, and families at greater risk. Policymakers faced with tough budget decisions need strong evidence about the effectiveness of programs that serve and support these groups.To help ensure that family policy is supported by evidence, Mathematica Policy Research is building on its work in healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood interventions, family support, and teen pregnancy prevention with several new studies. In projects for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Mathematica's family support experts are evaluating programs aimed at strengthening fatherhood and families and preventing teen pregnancy. These studies will provide objective analysis of the programs and assess their effectiveness in giving low-income couples and teens the tools they need to nurture and sustain healthy relationships that benefit themselves, their families, and the greater community. Some highlights of Mathematica's new work in these areas include:
- Parents and Children Together, a five-year $19 million project for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) within DHHS is evaluating a new generation of healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood programs. Led by senior fellow Sheena McConnell and senior researcher Robin Dion, this project will provide information on the state of current marriage and fatherhood programs and their impacts on participating families. The project uses a mix of research methods, including an experimental evaluation, implementation study, and an in-depth qualitative study that taps into innovative ethnographic methods. Researchers are also compiling data using surveys, parents' feedback, and in-home visits.
- Years of research on fatherhood programs have demonstrated that one size does not fit all. Rather, different fathers react to different programs—and even aspects of programs—in different ways. Led by senior researcher Sharon McGroder, this project for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) will identify behavior patterns, and classify demographic groups and subgroups to paint a fuller picture of participating dads and how and why fatherhood programs do or don't impact them.
- Building on a robust portfolio of teen pregnancy prevention research, Mathematica is conducting the Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) Evaluation for the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation and the Family and Youth Services Bureau within DHHS. Led by associate director of research and senior economist Robert Wood, this seven-year $15 million evaluation is examining a large federal initiative to fund evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs serving thousands of youth across the country. It will document the implementation experiences of grantees and assess program fidelity. In addition, using a random assignment research design, the evaluation will analyze impacts in four sites.
About Mathematica: Mathematica Policy Research, a nonpartisan research firm, provides a full range of research and data collection services, including program evaluation and policy research, survey design and data collection, research assessment and interpretation, and program performance/data management, to improve public well-being. Its clients include federal and state governments, foundations, and private-sector and international organizations. The employee-owned company, with offices in Princeton, N.J., Ann Arbor, Mich., Cambridge, Mass., Chicago, Ill., Oakland, Calif., and Washington, D.C., has conducted some of the most important studies of family support, health care, education, international, disability, employment, nutrition, and early childhood policies and programs.