New KU partnership dedicated to engaged fatherhood, family, financial stability

LAWRENCE — Researchers at the University of Kansas have received a $3.75 million grant to implement a partnership designed to promote responsible fatherhood by fostering healthy relationships, engaged parenting practices and financial stability.

The partnership with Cornerstones of Care will help implement Family Opportunity, Resilience, Grit, Engagement (FORGE) in Atchison, Douglas, Johnson, Leavenworth and Wyandotte counties in northeast Kansas. The initiative will work to strengthen families by delivering Supporting Father Involvement and Money Habitudes, evidence-based curriculums, as well as individualized case management services.

“It’s all about building strong relationships for parents. The program will focus on parenting, communication skills and strengthening families, and will focus on fathers specifically, as there is not a lot of services available for dads, especially single fathers,” said Pegah Naemi Jimenez, associate researcher senior and principal investigator in KU’s School of Social Welfare.

The grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Administration of Children and Families, will provide $749,999 annually for five years.

Fathers involved in raising a minor child or supporting a young adult will receive training in family skills through the Supporting Father Involvement curriculum, a research-backed curriculum designed to support healthy marriages, father involvement in children’s lives, good relationships, breaking cycles of generational trauma and more. 

Money Habitudes is an initiative that boosts economic stability by going beyond basic financial literacy to build a personal profile of an individual and their attitudes and behavior toward money that influences how they spend and save. Both initiatives will also promote economic stability such as maintaining employment.

“The support doesn’t end with an eight-week program,” Naemi Jimenez said. “There needs to be a community network for dads, and we hope to help build that. We have funds dedicated to partnering with community organizations that will build relationships with dads to build those networks to help them stay engaged and supported.”

KU researchers will partner with Cornerstones of Care, a provider of trauma-informed social welfare services for children and families to improve family well-being in northeast Kansas and the Kansas City metropolitan area. Ariana Nasrazadani, associate researcher in KU’s School of Social Welfare, is co-principal investigator.

“This is not only an initiative for fathers, this initiative will be able to involve co-parents and children. Co-parents will have the opportunity to learn new skills as well, and fathers will have time in a safe space to practice their new skills and share their knowledge with the people around them, immediately increasing involvement, positive experiences and healthy interactions with the key members of their families,” Nasrazadani said.

Improving fatherhood engagement is critical for children, parents and communities. Naemi Jimenez cited 2022 Kansas Kids Count data that showed 16% of Kansas children live in single mother households and 5% live in single father households. All of those families are statistically significantly more likely to experience poverty than two-parent households. Research has also shown that when a parent is not engaged with their children, their self-confidence decreases, and contact with law enforcement increases.

“We see the challenges of single parenting and the effects those can have on both parents and children. From the research, we know fathers’ engagement in their children’s lives is critical,” Naemi Jimenez said.

In addition to the evidence-based curriculums, the FORGE program will help fathers build targeted community connections for skills such as resume building, preparing for job interviews and connections with community organizations. KU researchers will also conduct evaluations to determine which approaches are most effective and how the program can be improved and sustained beyond the life of the grant to ensure fathers continue to meet goals of sustained healthy marriages, responsible/engaged parenting and economic stability.

“Dads don’t get as much in parenting support as moms do, but they are a critical part of the family, so it is important to support fathers from all walks of life,” Naemi Jimenez said. “The research suggests that when you can build a shared relationship between dads and families, even if they don’t have full custody, they are more likely to stay engaged and involved. We want dads to continue to have peer supports and to be at the forefront of what a strong network for fathers can be in our community.”