We Can Parent Together

Tools for engaging fathers, mothers and others in co-parenting

In 2006, 38.4% of all births in the United States were to

unmarried women

Fathers are more likely to regularly see their children and pay child support when they perceive a

degree of parental involvement (Peters et all., 2004)

Policy interventions need to focus on strengthening mother-father

relationships as well as improving fathers’ ability to provide

economic support and be involved in other arenas of parenting.

Coley & Chase-Lansdale, 2000.

The quality of the relationship between children’s parents

matters for children. Children benefit when both

parents are present and functioning in a low conflict

relationship.Carlson, McLanahan and England, 2004.

Most unmarried parents are highly committed to each other at their child’s birth and hope to marry.

However the percentage of couples who are working together to raise

their children decreases from almost 60% at the child's birth to only 13% when the child reaches

their teens.The Fragile Families and Child-Wellbeing Study

Home visiting programs need to take a family systems approach in

which father involvement is tied to the couple relationship, the father’s family and maternal

grandmother.Kalil et all, 2005

“families that adjust well to life’s challenges tend to be those in which there exists a supportive partnership between the adults who are responsible for guiding the socialization of the family's children.”

Salvador Minuchin, Families and Family Therapy, 1974

The risks of negative outcomes (of growing up in a single parent

family) are reduced if the parents cooperatively work together to

raise their children, and if regular financial and emotional support

are received from the non-custodial parent.

(Kelly and Emery, 2003, Feinberg, 2002)

Barriers to marriage

Financial concernsbeing employed, having assets and enough money

for a “proper” weddingRelationship issues

father’s maturity, low trust, sexual infidelity, domestic violence

Timing issuesneed time to plan the wedding

Gibson, Edin and McLanahan, 2003 from Fragile Family Interview Data

Barriers to healthy family formation and father involvement

• Incarceration• Domestic violence• Mental health problems• Drug and alcohol abuse

Waller and Shisher, 2006

When mothers are able to yield to father’s involvement, and fathers are able to approach child care with a sense of wanting to learn, not only are parent-child relationships strengthened, but also the relationship between co-parents.

Knudson-Martin and Mahoney (2005)

Unmarried parents express a strong desire to form a family and work together to raise their children. Marriage may not be a realistic goal for these families, but strengthening their ability to co-parent may show more promise in terms of improving child well-being outcomes.

Shirer, 2009

•

Family members personality characteristics, mental health and well being

Three generational transmission of expectations and behavior patterns

Quality of the parent-child relationships

Quality of the relationship between parents

Balance of life stresses and social supports for the familyCowan, Cowan, Pruett, Pruett, 2006

Children’s development and adaptation are predicted by the risks and buffers in 5 interconnected domains:

Couple relationship quality and father involvement are key factors in establishing and collecting child

support

Even if parents are experiencing relationship discord and distress

but are able to maintain a positive co-parenting relationship, adverse

outcomes for children will be reduced.

Positive co-parenting (i.e. mutual support of the parenting role,

childrearing agreement, equitable division of parenting responsibilities

and parents’ management of interaction patterns) has been

found to be an important mediator between the couple relationship

and child outcomes.

Early involvement of the non-custodial parent with his or

her child predicts a pattern of connection and support for the

child.

Family relationships – particularly with the paternal grandparents and

maternal grandmother impact father involvement.

When the mother has a positive relationship with the father’s family

and the father with the mother’s mother, there are more positive patterns of father involvement.

Kalil, Ziol-Guest and Coley (2005)