DOI: 10.3886/e237485v1
title: HMRF FIRE Fatherhood Intervention Evaluation Los Angeles 2020-2025

description: The HMRF FIRE Evaluation Los Angeles (2020–2025) is a quasi-experimental study assessing the effects of the 24/7 Dad program, an evidence-based fatherhood intervention designed to strengthen father–child relationships, promote responsible parenting, and support healthy co-parenting. The intervention was delivered online via Zoom in English and Spanish to small groups of fathers led by trained facilitators.
A total of 734 fathers initiated the program, of whom 619 enrolled in the intervention study and 143 participated as comparison cases recruited through Head Start programs. Fathers completed baseline, post-intervention (3 months), and follow-up (6 months) surveys. The evaluation examined whether fathers who participated in at least 90 percent of program sessions demonstrated greater improvements in father–child engagement and co-parenting relationships than comparison fathers, and whether such changes were sustained at follow-up.
Secondary research questions explored whether fathers’ mental health, trauma histories, and experiences of perceived ethnic discrimination influenced outcomes. Measures included the Father Engagement Scale, Child–Parent Relationship Scale, Co-Parenting Relationship Scale, the Continuum of Conflict and Control Relationship Scale, Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire, Perceived Ethnic Discrimination Questionnaire, Brief Symptom Inventory, and the Brief Revised Working Alliance Inventory.
The final dataset contains 730 cases (631 intervention, 99 control) and 473 variables, with one record per participant. Data include repeated measures at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months, as well as matched items from the federally required nFORM surveys. Sensitive identifiers (e.g., dates of birth, zip codes, agency names) were removed prior to archiving.
description: weighting was not used
description: Response Rates: A total of 1,269 fathers were engaged for enrollment in the study. Of these, 859 were referred to the 24/7 Dad intervention, and 825 enrolled. Seven hundred thirty-four fathers started the intervention, and 651 completed it. Among those eligible, 671 fathers completed the baseline (T1) survey. At post-intervention (T2), 577 completed follow-up surveys, with 94 lost to follow-up (49 dropped, 45 declined). At the 6-month follow-up (T3), 290 fathers completed surveys, while 103 declined or were unable to be contacted. In the comparison group, 410 fathers were contacted; 196 were successfully reached, and 143 completed baseline (T1). At T2, 94 completed, and at T3, 72 completed follow-up.
description: Presence of Common Scales: Several Likert-type scales were used. Standardized instruments include:


Father Engagement Scale (Dyer et al., 2018)


Child–Parent Relationship Scale – Short Form (Driscoll & Pianta, 2011)


Co-Parenting Relationship Scale (Dyer et al., 2015)


Continuum of Conflict and Control Relationship Scale (CCC-RS) (Carlson et al., 2017)


Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Questionnaire (Felitti et al., 1998)


Perceived Ethnic Discrimination Questionnaire (PEDQ-CV) (Brondolo et al., 2005)


Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) subscales: Anxiety, Depression, Hostility (Derogatis & Spencer, 1993)


Brief Revised Working Alliance Inventory – Bonds Scale (Mallinckrodt & Tekie, 2015)Couples Communication Satisfaction Scale (Jones et al., 2019)
description: The intervention sample consisted of fathers enrolled in the 24/7 Dad program at a community-based organization in Los Angeles who consented to participate in the evaluation. Fathers were eligible if they were 18 years or older and had at least one child under the age of 24. The comparison sample was recruited through Head Start programs affiliated with Children’s Institute in Los Angeles. Both groups represent a convenience sample rather than a probability-based design.
description: Fathers aged 18 and older residing in Los Angeles, California, with at least one child under the age of 24. The study population primarily included Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black fathers, many of whom experience socio-economic disadvantage, cultural and institutional barriers, and other structural inequities.
description: web-based survey; The 24/7 Dad intervention was conducted entirely online via Zoom in English and Spanish, due to COVID-19 restrictions during the study period.


Intervention surveys were administered by phone (facilitator reading items aloud) or via individualized online survey links, while comparison group surveys were collected online only.


The final dataset is in SPSS format with 730 cases and 473 variables. Items repeated across waves are coded with <code>_1</code>, <code>_2</code>, or <code>_3</code> to indicate baseline, post-program, and 6-month follow-up.


Some items replicate content from the federally required nFORM system; to facilitate comparability, nFORM IDs were retained to allow linkage to the funder’s archived dataset.


Sensitive information (e.g., dates of birth, zip codes, agency names) was removed prior to archiving.


Scale scores are not pre-calculated in the dataset; users must compute them using published scoring procedures.