Randomized Controlled Trial of an Adapted Evidence-Based Coaching Program for Fathers and Their Young Children in the Context of Home Visiting

The proposed work will achieve three specific aims in the context of a two-arm, fully powered RCT. This will be one of the first large-scale RCTs focused on evaluating the impacts and underlying theory of a nurturing fathering program.

As fathers enroll, they will be randomly assigned to either FIND-F (Group A) or a waitlist control group (Group B). A waitlist control group design is proposed based on community views that it would be unethical to deny consenting, eligible fathers access to FIND-F. This is a common approach in early childhood evaluations to increase program access. Both groups will be assessed at three time points: baseline, endpoint, and 6-Month follow-up. After the 6-month follow-up assessment, the waitlist group will be given the opportunity to receive FIND-F.

Each FIND-F session focuses on a specific element of a serve and return interaction, using the edited films to support fathers in learning about that element. The five elements are: (a) Sharing Child's Focus- when the father notices what the child is interested in and puts his attention there too; (b) Supporting and Encouraging- when the father responds to the child's "serve" through acknowledging, soothing, comforting, or praising the child; (c) Naming - when the father provides a word or explanation for what the child is seeing, doing, or feeling; (d) Back and Forth- when the father and child continue interacting in a longer back-and-forth manner; and (e) Endings and Beginnings- when a child signals the end of an activity, a new serve and return interaction begins, and the father follows the child's lead.