Fathers Inclusive Prenatal Care
About |
In 2018, the rate of babies born to unwed parents under the age of 25 was more than 7 out of 10. About half of these unwed parents will never cohabit, and over time, about half of non-residential fathers will lose contact with their children. The rising rate of children who are disconnected from their fathers poses a significant threat to the health of our society because these children are more likely to live in chronic poverty, have trouble keeping up in school, and experience psychological problems.
The FIPC approach involves assessing expectant fathers and mothers with a “parent prep-check” to identify their needs and then offer services to address those needs and prepare them for parenthood. Services outlined in Figure 1 below include: (1) an evidence-based co-parenting counseling and parent education program to help prepare young couples for parenting regardless of their relationship status; (2) father focused case management services to reduce barriers to father role development, broadly defined; and (3) employment support designed to help young parents find and keep living wage jobs. |
Aims |
There are two key goals of the current project. First, we are testing the efficacy of the FIPC approach by comparing young parents who do and do not receive FIPC services. Rather than randomize couples to treatment and control, we are using a stepped wedge design, which involves using some clinics as intervention sites and some as control sites with the idea that the control clinics will be converted to intervention clinics. Recruitment will be rolled out over time so later implementation clinics serve as controls for earlier ones.
The second key goal is to make FIPC sustainable by building a system for training and supporting behavioral health providers and parenting educators and to work with Medicaid to assure reimbursement for FIPC services. The project is supported with a federal grant until the end of 2024 with the hope that FIPC services will be able to continue, if effective. Unlike many father focused programs, FIPC is delivered using a prenatal care model, delivering services couple by couple rather than in groups. This allows us to tailor the programs to couples’ individual needs and increase flexibility in scheduling. The program focuses on young, first-time parents who are most likely to benefit from additional supports across the transition to parenthood. Expectant fathers (ages 18-29) and mother (ages 17-25) are recruited through prenatal clinics with the support of prenatal staff. Participants are offered a 40.00 incentive for their participation in the research interview (prenatal, 6 months post-birth, and 18 months post-birth) and incentive for participating in FIPC services, including counseling, parent education and job support and care coordination. |
Partners |
Partners: Erie Family Health Center and Skills for Chicagoland’s Future
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Team |
Principle Investigator
Paul Florsheim, PhD, UW- Milwaukee Wrenetha Julion, PhD, MPH, RN, CNL, FAAN, Rush University College of Nursing Evaluation Team Kaija Zusevics, PhD, UW-Milwaukee Iniko Ceaser, UW-Milwaukee Daniel Garcia, UW-Milwaukee Jasmine Maldonado, MPH, UW-Milwaukee |
