How much power does a father have to influence his children's development? A lively and often heated public debate on the role and value of the father in a family has been underway in the United States for the past decade. Nevertheless, we are far from understanding the complex ways in which fathers make contributions to their families and children. Fatherhood: Research, Interventions, and Policies addresses the central questions of the role of fathers: What is the impact of father involvement on child outcomes? What factors predict increased involvement of fathers?Bringing together papers presented at the Conference on Father Involvement, this volume includes contributions by leading scholars in anthropology, demography, economics, family science, psychology, and sociology. Many of the contributors also address the implications of father involvement for family policy issues, including family leave, child care, and child support. Furthermore, the discussion of fatherhood ranges well beyond the case of intact, middle-class, white families to include fathers from various ethnic groups and socioeconomic classes and of varied marital status, including fathers of nonmarital children, single-father families, and nonresident fathers. Fatherhood: Research, Interventions, and Policies addresses both practical and theoretical concerns, including: the redefinition of fatherhood changes over time in research on fatherhood the predictive power of fathers'activities on their children's adult outcomes the correlation between fathers'income and their involvement with their nonmarital children the influence of fathers on their sons'probability of growing up to become responsible fathers the effects of divorce on father-son and father-daughter relationships interventions that help to keep divorced fathers in touch with their childrenThis comprehensive, powerful book combines pioneering empirical research with thoughtful consideration of the social and psychological implications of fatherhood. It is essential reading for researchers, policymakers, psychologists, and students of family studies, human development, gender studies, social policy, sociology, and human ecology.

Although federal and state support for childcare has increased dramatically in response to welfare work requirements, low-income families are still facing difficulties balancing work and family obligations. There is wide variation across states in the strictness of welfare work requirements and in the generosity of childcare support. In addition, the level of co-payments required and the flexibility to use subsidies for informal modes of childcare differ across states, leading families to make different childcare and employment choices. The purpose of From Welfare to Childcare is first to describe what changes occurred in childcare following the 1996 welfare reform legislation, and then to analyze how federal welfare and subsidy policies influence the availability, accessibility, and quality of childcare arrangements for single mothers with young children. National in scope, it focuses on how the reforms influence the way that children are cared for when their mothers leave welfare and enter the workforce. This book is suitable for national, state, and local policymakers, non-profit organizations that study and attempt to influence public policy, and scholars interested in family and social policy issues. It can be used as a text in graduate level courses on welfare, poverty, and children and public policy.

How much power does a father have to influence his children's development? A lively and often heated public debate on the role and value of the father in a family has been underway in the United States for the past decade. Nevertheless, we are far from understanding the complex ways in which fathers make contributions to their families and children. Fatherhood: Research, Interventions, and Policies addresses the central questions of the role of fathers: Ž What is the impact of father involvement on child outcomes? Ž What factors predict increased involvement of fathers?Bringing together papers presented at the Conference on Father Involvement, this volume includes contributions by leading scholars in anthropology, demography, economics, family science, psychology, and sociology. Many of the contributors also address the implications of father involvement for family policy issues, including family leave, child care, and child support. Furthermore, the discussion of fatherhood ranges well beyond the case of intact, middle-class, white families to include fathers from various ethnic groups and socioeconomic classes and of varied marital status, including fathers of nonmarital children, single-father families, and nonresident fathers. Fatherhood: Research, Interventions, and Policies addresses both practical and theoretical concerns, including: the redefinition of fatherhood changes over time in research on fatherhood the predictive power of fathers'activities on their children's adult outcomes the correlation between fathers'income and their involvement with their nonmarital children the influence of fathers on their sons'probability of growing up to become responsible fathers the effects of divorce on father-son and father-daughter relationships interventions that help to keep divorced fathers in touch with their childrenThis comprehensive, powerful book combines pioneering empirical research with thoughtful consideration of the social and psychological implications of fatherhood. It is essential reading for researchers, policymakers, psychologists, and students of family studies, human development, gender studies, social policy, sociology, and human ecology.

Although federal and state support for childcare has increased dramatically in response to welfare work requirements, low-income families are still facing difficulties balancing work and family obligations. There is wide variation across states in the strictness of welfare work requirements and in the generosity of childcare support. In addition, the level of co-payments required and the flexibility to use subsidies for informal modes of childcare differ across states, leading families to make different childcare and employment choices. The purpose of From Welfare to Childcare is first to describe what changes occurred in childcare following the 1996 welfare reform legislation, and then to analyze how federal welfare and subsidy policies influence the availability, accessibility, and quality of childcare arrangements for single mothers with young children. National in scope, it focuses on how the reforms influence the way that children are cared for when their mothers leave welfare and enter the workforce. This book is suitable for national, state, and local policymakers, non-profit organizations that study and attempt to influence public policy, and scholars interested in family and social policy issues. It can be used as a text in graduate level courses on welfare, poverty, and children and public policy.