Preparing for Parenthood: A Father Inclusive Model of Prenatal Care

Recruitment: This project will recruit/engage young expectant fathers using a multi-stage process. First, primary care providers (PCP) will ask their patients (17-25-year-old pregnant women) about the degree to which the father of her child will be participating in parenting and supporting their baby. If the mother anticipates the fathers' involvement, the provider will tell her about the Parent Prep-Checks (PPC), give her a brochure about describing that process (including incentives), and ask about connecting her with members of the research team in order to receive additional information. The research team members will establish father eligibility based upon age (18-29 years) and schedule time to meet with both parents.

The intake process - the Parent Prep Check - is a strategy for engaging young fathers and mothers in research and intervention activities. In addition to collecting useful baseline data, the PPC is designed to build a strong alliance between project staff and participants. For example, FIPC intake staff are trained to administer a semi-structured interview designed to help participants articulate their feelings about becoming parents, which most find to be an interesting and rewarding experience. Then to facilitate recruitment into the intervention, a motivational interviewing approach is used that (a) gives feedback to participants based on their self-reported data and (b) engages them in thinking about what services will help them get ready for parenthood. When fathers are given the chance to say what concerns them, they are more likely to be receptive to participating in programs that can address those concerns. Intake staff will then introduce expectant parents to a FIPC provider, who discusses the goals and benefits of the FIPC program. Emphasizing how FIPC programs address a parent's self-identified goals has been an effective way to engage and retain participants.

The most critical element in this process is the quality of communication between FIPC staff and the expectant mother and father. If done well, both parents will feel appreciated, supported, and respected. Another key factor is flexibility. FIPC staff are trained to be as accommodating as possible about scheduling appointments. Related to this, almost all FIPC services and research activities are available online to increase participant reach and accessibly.

Finally, fathers and mothers are told they will be reimbursed for their time. Incentivizing patients is not sustainable over the long run; however, it is deemed necessary to get a representative sample for this project. In years 4 and 5, incentives for services will be reduced as part of the sustainability plan. In past projects, this strategy has been effective in recruiting between 60 and 75% of eligible expectant fathers.

Staff at partner clinics and Rush program coordinators who will be trained on the FIPC program and research/evaluation data protocol will be responsible for recruiting the sample. The clinic staff will be asking eligible mothers if they think their partner (father of the baby) would be interested in participating. The FIPC program coordinators will be responsible for contacting fathers and recruiting them to participate after mothers share their contact information.