KS, NE, and TX Fathers, Couples, and Co-parents Whose Children Are Involved in the Child Welfare System Will Gain the Skills and Knowledge to be Better Parents Through Saint Francis Fatherhood FIRE

This project is based on federal legislation that requires evaluation of a program being implemented and delivered by Saint Francis Ministries, a community-based non-profit organization serving children and families. Saint Francis Ministries received federal funds to expand and deliver the Fatherhood FIRE Program to community-based and justice-system involved fathers in their service area. The FIRE program, which stands for Family-Oriented, Interconnected, Resilient, and Essential, aims to promote responsible and positive fatherhood parenting practices and develop and maintain healthy relationships with their partners and other co-parents (e.g., mothers of their children). Evaluation of the program is a condition of Saint Francis Ministries' grant award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The KU evaluation team at the School of Social Welfare has been contracted by Saint Francis Ministries to conduct the evaluation. The evaluation will be carried out in two parts: 1) a process evaluation and 2 an outcomes evaluation. The process and target populations for both the process and outcomes components are as follows. PROCESS EVALUATION: The process study involves individuals involved in the implementation of the Fatherhood FIRE program at Saint Francis Ministries. Specific populations eligible for inclusion in the process evaluation include: (1) implementation teams facilitating the Fatherhood FIRE program in three states in Saint Francis Ministries service area (Kansas, Nebraska, & Texas), (2) members of the Fatherhood FIRE Data, Assessment, and Dissemination Workgroup, an advisory group comprised of Saint Francis program administrators and the evaluation team charged with planning and overseeing data collection, evaluation, and dissemination efforts, and (3) the evaluation study team. OUTCOMES EVALUATION: Fathers ages 18 and older who are not incarcerated and are enrolled and participating in the Fatherhood FIRE program. To be eligible for inclusion in the evaluation study, program participants must not be incarcerated, have children up to age 24, and may be living with or apart from their children. Eligible participants may be biological parents, adoptive or foster parents, or other caregivers in the parenting role if they have children who meet the age criteria.