The Effects of Parenting Programs for Incarcerated and Reentering Fathers
Evidence | Publications

The Effects of Parenting Programs for Incarcerated and Reentering Fathers

OPRE Report 2021-140
Published: Dec 30, 2021
Publisher: Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Human Services Family Support Strengthening Families and Responsible Fatherhood
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Associated Project

Fatherhood, Relationships, and Marriage – Illuminating the Next Generation of Research (FRAMING Research)

Time frame: 2018-2023

Prepared for:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families

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Authors

Julia Alamillo

Breyon Williams

Sarah Avellar

Key Findings

Our review of the impact literature on parenting programs for incarcerated and reentering fathers yielded five key findings:

  1. Programs were most successful at improving fathers’ contact with their child and parenting skills, attitudes, and knowledge. Of the ten studies we reviewed, eight found favorable impacts on outcomes related to fathers’ contact with their child and fathers’ parenting skills, attitudes, and knowledge. These outcomes included the frequency of phone calls and interactions with their child and fathers’ knowledge of child development and effective discipline techniques.
  2. We know less about impacts on fathers’ relationship quality with their child and impacts on child well-being, outcomes that are central to the goals of parenting programs. Four of the 10 studies we reviewed examined impacts on fathers’ relationship quality with their child and 3 examined impacts on child well-being. Among these studies, only one found favorable impacts in these outcome domains.
  3. Few studies examined impacts on fathers’ economic stability or financial support of their child. Three studies examined outcomes related to fathers’ economic stability or financial support of their child, and one found favorable impacts in these outcome domains.
  4. Although several studies examined outcomes related to fathers’ personal well-being and relationship quality with a coparent, most found no impacts in these domains. Even though most of the programs we reviewed addressed topics related to fathers’ personal wellbeing—such as recidivism and substance use—and healthy relationships, few studies found significant impacts on fathers’ outcomes in these domains.
  5. There is limited evidence on programs offered in a community setting, programs that include children or coparents in services, or programs that offer individual services. Most of the programs we reviewed served fathers in prison or jail, did not included children or coparents in services, and delivered services solely through group sessions. As a result, this body of literature provides limited evidence on the effects of working with fathers after they reenter the community, including children or coparents in services, or working individually with fathers.

Many fathers who participate in responsible fatherhood (RF) programs have been or are currently involved with the criminal justice system. These fathers often face challenges to maintaining strong relationships with their children both while they are incarcerated and after release. To share information with RF programs about how to better support the parenting outcomes of fathers with criminal justice involvement, this brief uses an evidence and gaps map to summarize research on the effects of parenting programs for incarcerated and reentering fathers.

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