Strengthening the Implementation of Responsible Fatherhood Programs (SIRF)

Strengthening the Implementation of Responsible Fatherhood Programs

2019-2022

Since 2006, Responsible Fatherhood programs across the country have received federal funding administered by the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. These programs aim to:

  • promote positive father-child interactions,
  • improve parents’ relationship with each other and their capacity to parent as a team, and
  • build fathers’ economic stability.

Since their inception, Responsible Fatherhood programs have conducted capacity-building activities, such as performance management, and have undergone local and federal evaluations aimed at building evidence. These activities and evaluations have uncovered a number of implementation challenges, including recruiting fathers, enrolling them in services, and keeping them actively engaged in services so they can realize their goals.

The Strengthening the Implementation of Responsible Fatherhood Programs (SIRF) project is studying ways to help programs overcome these hurdles using learning cycles, which use an iterative approach to identify implementation roadblocks, design and test solutions, interpret findings, and adapt practices and measurement.

Timeline, Scope, and Goals

Over the first year of SIRF, the research team identified common implementation challenges and potential solutions for Responsible Fatherhood programs through a literature review and input from content experts and program stakeholders. Based on this information gathering phase and early conversations with Responsible Fatherhood programs, the research team selected up to 10 Responsible Fatherhood programs to participate in learning cycle activities.

The iterative learning cycles began in early 2021 and utilize a “learn-do-reflect” process. During this phase, the researchers and practitioners collaborate to identify a problem and consider potential solutions (learn), choose and implement solutions (do), and examine the results to decide on next steps (reflect).

The study findings will be disseminated on an ongoing basis throughout the course of the project.

Study Design, Sites, and Data Sources

The learning cycles vary in their design, timeframe, and structure depending upon unique contextual factors associated with each site and the associated learning objectives. Through these activities, SIRF seeks to build evidence to help Responsible Fatherhood programs deliver more effective services and set the stage for potential future studies that could measure the effects of strengthened programs.

Data are collected from nFORM (Information, Family Outcomes, Reporting, and Management), the management information system used by all Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood federal grantees, as well as from interviews with Responsible Fatherhood program staff and participants.

Map of organizations participating in SIRF programs

Funders and Partners

Funders: The project is sponsored by the Office of Family Assistance and administered by the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.

Partners: MEF Associates, Insight Policy Research.

Participating Fatherhood Programs:

Point(s) of contact: Katie Pahigiannis and Kriti Jain.

Information collections related to this project have been reviewed and approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs under ACF’s Generic Clearance for Formative Data Collections for ACF Research (OMB #0970-0356). Related materials are available at the following pages on RegInfo.gov:

Related Resources

Explore summary lessons and implications from the Strengthening the Implementation of Responsible Fatherhood Programs (SIRF) study.

Explore how Customer Journey Mapping can serve as a tool to understand fathers’ program experiences and perspectives and identify approaches to improve engagement.

Explore common implementation challenges and solutions fatherhood programs can try to improve recruitment, retention, and engagement of fathers in services.

Hear from fatherhood program staff members and mentors describe their experiences participating in SIRF in their own words.

Explore how fatherhood programs used rapid learning cycles to test approaches to improve fathers' enrollment and participation in program services.

Explore lessons and findings from the Strengthening the Implementation of Responsible Fatherhood Programs (SIRF) study.

Explore how the SIRF project is working with fatherhood programs to strengthen program implementation.

The Strengthening the Implementation of Responsible Fatherhood Programs (SIRF) project will work closely with programs to identify and overcome the challenges they face, such as recruiting fathers, enrolling them in services, and keeping them actively engaged in services so they can realize their goals.

Hear from fatherhood program staff members and mentors describe their experiences participating in SIRF in their own words.

Strengthening the Implementation of Responsible Fatherhood Programs (SIRF) will work closely with programs to identify and overcome the challenges they face, such as recruiting fathers, enrolling them in services, and keeping them actively engaged so they can realize their goals.