Early Findings from the Parents and Children Together (PACT) Evaluation

The past several decades have witnessed sweeping changes in family structure. Today, nearly one of every three children in the United States lives in a home without his or her biological father. As the number of children growing up without their fathers has increased, so too have efforts to help low-income fathers reconnect with and provide emotional and financial support to their children.

Since 2005, Congress has funded the Responsible Fatherhood grant program, which promotes activities to increase fathers’ support of and positive involvement with their children. The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation in the Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is sponsoring the Parents and Children Together (PACT) evaluation, which aims to provide foundational information to guide ongoing and future program design and evaluation efforts in the fields of Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Marriage programming.

This webinar discussed early findings from the PACT evaluation, describing four Responsible Fatherhood programs and the low-income fathers they serve. The speakers offered insights into the challenges these fathers face and lessons on how to tailor services to help fathers become more involved parents who are better equipped to support their families emotionally and financially.