Evaluation of the Brothers United Fatherhood Program
Condition: Health Behavior
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The Brothers United Fatherhood Program (BUFP) will be conducting an evaluation that builds on
      literature and existing research from the healthy marriage/responsible fatherhood initiatives
      developed by ACF over the last 10 years, in particular the Supporting Healthy Marriage
      Program initiative that established a randomized clinical trial. The Brothers United
      Fatherhood Program will provide important data to expand the area of fatherhood development
      with the target population. This program is funded through an initiative of the
      Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance (OFA).

      The study is intended to measure if the identified interventions improve the well-being and
      relationship between targeted participants and their families. The study intends to focus on
      the following outcomes:

        -  Demonstrate increased intake & knowledge of systems that help fathers

        -  Improvement in knowledge of employment & learn new opportunities for economic mobility

        -  Improvement communication & empathy skills towards partner

        -  Increase in understanding of healthy marriage & its value to fathers

        -  Demonstrate an understanding of financial planning

        -  Demonstrate improved conflict resolution, behavior patterns, including those leading to
           domestic violence

        -  Increase in reports of improved adult & child relationships

        -  Demonstrate an increase job readiness skills such as employment preparedness & career
           direction
    

Detailed description: 
      Do those who participate in the program result in more positive self-reported attitudes and
      behaviors than the control group relative to the following:

        1. Improved healthy relationship and marriage skills.

        2. Improved co-parenting skills

        3. Increased frequency of father/child engagement

        4. Increased financial responsibility of fathers

        5. Progress toward a greater economic stability, including skill attainment and employment.

        6. Reduce recidivism?

      This reflects intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis where all participants who are enrolled and
      randomly assigned to treatment are included in the analysis regardless of their adherence
      with the entry criteria, regardless of subsequent withdrawal from treatment or deviation from
      the protocol. This will preserve the pragmatic balance generated by the original random
      treatment allocation.

      Also, "per protocol analysis" will be conducted to evaluate if full project participation
      results in more positive self-reported attitudes and behaviors than the control group
      participants.

      What personal characteristics and other external factors are related to achieving successful
      outcomes in the program?
    

Intervention name(s): Fatherhood Development; Relationship Enhancement; Financial Literacy
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Fatherhood Development is a curriculum based program provided by a facilitator through a skill-based education intervention.; Relationship Enhancement is a curriculum based program provided by a facilitator through a skill-based education intervention.; Relationship Enhancement is a curriculum based program provided by a facilitator through skill-based education intervention.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Health Behavior