The Supporting Healthy Marriage (SHM) evaluation was launched in 2003 to test the effectiveness of a skills-based relationship education program designed to help low-income married couples strengthen their relationships and, in turn, to support more stable and more nurturing home environments and more positive outcomes for parents and their children. The evaluation is led by MDRC, in collaboration with Abt Associates and other partners, and is sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services. The SHM program is a voluntary, yearlong, relationship and marriage education program for lowincome, married couples who have children or are expecting a child. The program provides group workshops based on structured curricula; supplemental activities to build on workshop themes; and family support services to address participation barriers, connect families with other services, and reinforce curricular themes. The study's rigorous random assignment design compares outcomes for families who are offered SHM's services with outcomes for a similar group of families who are not offered SHM's services but can access other services. This report presents estimated impacts on the program's targeted outcomes about one year after couples entered the study.
The SHM evaluation was launched in 2003 to test the effectiveness of a skills-based relationship educ. program designed to help low-income married couples strengthen their relationships and, in turn, to support more stable and more nurturing home environments and more positive outcomes for parents and their children. The program provides group workshops based on structured curricula; supplemental activities to build on workshop themes; and family support services to address participation barriers, connect families with other services, and reinforce curricular themes. This report presents estimated impacts on the program's targeted outcomes one year after couples entered the study. Illus. A print on demand report.
The Supporting Healthy Marriage (SHM) evaluation was launched in 2003 to test the effectiveness of a skills-based relationship education program designed to help low-income married couples strengthen their relationships and, in turn, to support more stable and more nurturing home environments and more positive outcomes for parents and their children. The SHM program is a voluntary, yearlong, relationship and marriage education program for low-income, married couples who have children or are expecting a child. The program provides group workshops based on structured curricula; supplemental activities to build on workshop themes; and family support services to address participation barriers, connect families with other services, and reinforce curricular themes. The study's rigorous random assignment design compares outcomes for families who are offered SHM's services with outcomes for a similar group of families who are not offered SHM's services but can access other services. This book presents estimated impacts on the program's targeted outcomes about one year after couples entered the study.
Strengthening marriages and relationships in low-income families has emerged as a national strategy for enhancing the well-being of children. The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 appropriated $150 million in grants each year from 2006 through 2010 to implement the Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Initiative. This report provides insight into how these programs are being implemented and monitored, and reports on: (1) how the Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded grants and the types of org. that received funding; (2) what activities and services grantees are providing, incl. those for domestic violence victims; (3) how HHS monitors and assesses program implementation and use of funds; and (4) how program impact is measured. Illus.
Family life has been radically transformed over the past three decades. Half of all households are unmarried, while only a quarter of all married households have kids. A third of the nation's births are to unwed mothers, and a third of America's married men earn less than their wives. With half of all women cohabitating before they turn thirty and gay and lesbian couples settling down with increasing visibility, there couldn't be a better time for a book that tracks new conceptions of marriage and family as they are being formed. The editors of this volume explore the motivation to marry and the role of matrimony in a diverse group of men and women. They compare empirical data from several emerging family types (single, co-parent, gay and lesbian, among others) to studies of traditional nuclear families, and they consider the effect of public policy and recent economic developments on the practice of marriage and the stabilization or destabilization of family. Approaching this topic from a variety of perspectives, including historical, cross-cultural, gendered, demographic, socio-biological, and social-psychological viewpoints, the editors highlight the complexity of the modern American family and the growing indeterminacy of its boundaries. Refusing to adhere to any one position, the editors provide an unbiased account of contemporary marriage and family.
"The new economics of love and marriage-and who benefits. The realities of single parenting in the US have long carried a connotation of hardship-not just in finances, but in the wrenching day-to-day challenges of parenting without a net. As marriage rates in the US continue to drop, and as single-parent households become increasingly concentrated at the lower end of the income spectrum, it begs the question: what does all this mean for a country and a society already dogged by inequality and the weight of racial discrimination? The Two-Parent Privilege examines the emerging role of marriage in the United States. Weaving data and observations drawn from across the social sciences, economist Melissa Kearney explores how the concentration of marriage among the affluent has made the institution of marriage itself a propagator of American inequality--one that may signal the end of American economic mobility. Kearney's work is a trenchant, sometimes uncomfortable, but deeply necessary critical look at how the makeup of our households are charting our path ahead"--
The first and only comprehensive review of current early childhood development theory, practices, policies, and the science behind them This unique and important bookprovides a comprehensive overview of the current theory, practices, and policies in early childhood development withinthe contexts of family, school, and community, and society at large. Moreover, it synthesizes scientifically rigorous research from an array of disciplines in an effort to identify the most effective strategies for promoting early childhood development. Research into childhood development is booming, and the scientific knowledge base concerning early childhood development is now greater than that of any other stage of the human life span. At the same time, efforts to apply that knowledge to early childhood practices, programs, and policies have never been greater or more urgent. Yet, surprisingly, until The Handbook of Early Childhood Development Programs, Practices, and Policies, there was no comprehensive, critical review of the applied science in the field. The book begins with in-depth coverage of child and family approaches. From there it moves onto a consideration of school- and community-based strategies. It concludes with a discussion of current social policies on health and development in early childhood and their implications. Provides a comprehensive overview of the state of the knowledge base, along with guidance for the future of the field Examines the underlying theory and basic science guiding efforts to promote early childhood development Critically reviews the strength of the empirical support for individual practices, programs, and policies Explores key opportunities and barriers policymakers and practitioners face when implementing various approaches Pays particular attention to socioeconomically disadvantaged and other disenfranchised populations The Handbook of Early Childhood Development Programs, Practices, and Policies is a valuable resource for practitioners, scholars, graduate students, and advanced undergraduate students across the social sciences who are interested in strengthening their understanding of current strategies for promoting early childhood development and the science informing those strategies.
This is the first book to provide a comprehensive, multidisciplinary overview of evidence-based relationship and marriage education (RME) programs. Readers are introduced to the best practices for designing, implementing, and evaluating effective RME programs to better prepare them to teach clients how to have healthy intimate relationships. Noted contributors from various disciplines examine current programs and best practices, often by the original developers themselves. Readers learn to critically appraise approaches and design and implement effective, evidence-based programs in the future. Examples and discussion questions encourage readers to examine issues and apply what they have learned. The conceptual material in Parts I & II provides critical guidance for practitioners who wish to develop, implement, and evaluate RME programs in various settings. Chapters in Parts III & IV follow a consistent structure so readers can more easily compare programs-- program overview and history, theoretical foundations, needs assessment and target audience, program goals & objectives, curriculum issues, cultural Implications, evidence based research and evaluation, and additional resources. This book reflects what the editor has learned from teaching relationship development and family life education courses over the past decade and includes the key information that students need to become competent professionals. Highlights of the book’s coverage include: Comprehensive summary of effective evidence-based RME training programs in one volume. Prepares readers for professional practice as a Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) by highlighting the fundamentals of developing RME programs. Describes the challenges associated with RME program evaluation. The book opens with a historical overview of RME development. It is followed by 20 chapters divided in six parts. The initial four chapters focus on fundamentals of relationship and marriage education --program development, required training, delivery systems, and implementation. The three chapters in Part II consider important conceptual and theoretical frameworks used in RME. Part III considers best practices in inventory based programs while Part IV examines six skills-based programs. The chapters in Parts III and IV consider program overview and history, theoretical foundations, needs assessment and target audience, program goals and objectives, curriculum issues, cultural implications, evidence-based research & evaluation, and additional resources. This content covers four categories of effective programs -- design and content, relevance, delivery and implementation, and assessment and quality assurance. Part V presents evidence-based RME with diverse groups and Part VI reviews future directions. Intended for use in advanced undergraduate or graduate courses in relationship and marriage education, family life education, marriage and relationship counseling/therapy, intimate relationships, relationship development, or home/school/community services taught in human development and family studies, psychology, social work, sociology, religion, and more, this ground-breaking book also serves as a resource for practitioners, therapists, counselors, clergy members, and policy makers interested in evidence based RME programs and those seeking to become Certified Family Life Educators or preparing for a career in RME.
The success of nearly all public- and private- sector policies hinges on the behavior of individuals, groups, and organizations. Today, such behaviors are better understood than ever, thanks to a growing body of practical behavioral science research. However, policymakers often are unaware of behavioral science findings that may help them craft and execute more effective and efficient policies. The pages of this new journal will become a meeting ground: a place where scientists and non-scientists can encounter clearly described behavioral research that can be put into action. By design, the scope of BSP is broad, with topics spanning health care, financial decisionmaking, energy and the environment, education and culture, justice and ethics, and work place practices. Contributions will be made by researchers with expertise in psychology, sociology, law, behavioral economics, organization science, decision science, and marketing. The journal is a key offering of the Behavioral Science & Policy Association in partnership with the Brookings Institution. The mission of BSPA is to foster dialog between social scientists, policymakers, and other practitioners in order to promote the application of rigorous empirical behavioral science in ways that serve the public interest. BSPA does not advance a particular agenda or political perspective. The first issue’s contents follow. Behavioral Science & Policy, vol. 1, no. 2 Extending the reach of behavioral policy Editors’ note: Craig R. Fox & Sim B. Sitkin 1. Belonging nowhere: Marginalization and radicalization risk among Muslim immigrants, Sarah Lyons-Padilla, Michele J. Gelfand, Hedieh Mirahmadi, Mehreen Farooq, & Marieke van Egmond 2. New directions for policies aimed at strengthening low-income couples, Justin A. Lavner, Benjamin R. Karney, & Thomas N. Bradbury 3. A personal touch in text messaging can improve loan repayment, Dean Karlan, Melanie Morten, & Jonathan Zinman 4. Beyond good intentions: Prompting people to make plans improves follow-through on important tasks, Todd Rogers, Katherine L. Milkman, Leslie K. John, & Michael I. Norton 5. Improving the communication of uncertainty in climate science and intelligence analysis, Emily H. Ho, David V. Budescu, Mandeep K. Dhami, & David R. Mandel 6. Moving citizens online: Using salience and message framing to motivate behavior change, Noah Castelo, Elizabeth Hardy, Julian House, Nina Mazar, Claire Tsai, & Min Zhao 7. Blinding prosecutors to defendants’ race: A policy proposal to reduce unconscious bias in the criminal justice system, Sunita Sah, Christopher T. Robertson, & Shima B. Baughman 8. The White House social and behavioral sciences team: Lessons Learned from Year One, William J. Congdon & Maya Shankar
The essential reference for human development theory, updated and reconceptualized The Handbook of Child Psychology and Developmental Science, a four-volume reference, is the field-defining work to which all others are compared. First published in 1946, and now in its Seventh Edition, the Handbook has long been considered the definitive guide to the field of developmental science. Volume 4: Ecological Settings and Processes in Developmental Systems is centrally concerned with the people, conditions, and events outside individuals that affect children and their development. To understand children's development it is both necessary and desirable to embrace all of these social and physical contexts. Guided by the relational developmental systems metatheory, the chapters in the volume are ordered them in a manner that begins with the near proximal contexts in which children find themselves and moving through to distal contexts that influence children in equally compelling, if less immediately manifest, ways. The volume emphasizes that the child's environment is complex, multi-dimensional, and structurally organized into interlinked contexts; children actively contribute to their development; the child and the environment are inextricably linked, and contributions of both child and environment are essential to explain or understand development. Understand the role of parents, other family members, peers, and other adults (teachers, coaches, mentors) in a child's development Discover the key neighborhood/community and institutional settings of human development Examine the role of activities, work, and media in child and adolescent development Learn about the role of medicine, law, government, war and disaster, culture, and history in contributing to the processes of human development The scholarship within this volume and, as well, across the four volumes of this edition, illustrate that developmental science is in the midst of a very exciting period. There is a paradigm shift that involves increasingly greater understanding of how to describe, explain, and optimize the course of human life for diverse individuals living within diverse contexts. This Handbook is the definitive reference for educators, policy-makers, researchers, students, and practitioners in human development, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and neuroscience.
