Effects of a Program to Promote High Quality Parenting by Divorced and Separated Fathers

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Family Studies
• Child Development

Background:

• Divorce impacts parenting dynamics and child mental health.
• Existing programs have shown success with mothers, but father-specific interventions are less explored.
• Fathers play a crucial role in child adjustment post-divorce.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the New Beginnings Program-Dads (NBP-Dads) for divorced and separated fathers.
• To assess the program's impact on fathering skills, child mental health problems, and competencies.
• To determine if NBP-Dads strengthens parenting and improves child outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A randomized trial comparing NBP-Dads to an active comparison program.
• Involved 384 divorced/separated fathers and their children.
• Utilized father, youth, and teacher reports at pretest, posttest, and 10-month follow-up.

Main Results:

• NBP-Dads significantly strengthened parenting skills, as reported by fathers and youth.
• Children of fathers in NBP-Dads showed reduced internalizing problems at 10-month follow-up.
• Children also demonstrated increased social competence at the 10-month follow-up.

Conclusions:

• NBP-Dads is the first randomized trial to demonstrate significant positive effects on father parenting post-divorce.
• The program has important implications for improving child adjustment in divorced families.
• Findings support interventions aimed at enhancing fathering involvement and skills.