employment services for noncustodial parents: the georgia fatherhood program
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Employment Services for Noncustodial Parents: The Georgia Fatherhood Program. Theresa Ann Sipe, PhD Stacey R. Bloomer, MS Danielle E. Ruedt, MPH. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Employment Services forEmployment Services for Noncustodial Parents: Noncustodial Parents:
The Georgia Fatherhood ProgramThe Georgia Fatherhood Program
Theresa Ann Sipe, PhD
Stacey R. Bloomer, MS
Danielle E. Ruedt, MPH
Georgia implemented a pilot Fatherhood Program in 1996 and expanded to a statewide program in 1998. The program’s goals are to increase employment for noncustodial parents and thereby increase child support payments. Over 9,000 noncustodial parents have received services from the program thus far. The Georgia Fatherhood Program provides assessment, remedial and literacy education, GED preparation, values clarification concerning responsibility towards children and employment, life skills training, job skills training in a variety of employment fields, and job search assistance.
The main service provider is the Department of Technical and Adult Education with an existing network of 36 technical colleges across the state of Georgia. Data for over 3,112 participants in 2000 indicate that the noncustodial parents are mostly male and African-American with over half having a criminal history. Fifty-four percent of the participants gained employment and 45% are paying child support. Research with a two-group pretest/posttest design was conducted in 1999. Analyses indicate that the two groups were similar on demographics with the exception of education. Results and conclusions for the 1999 research are presented.
Demographics for 2000Demographics for 2000
31 Years mean age 92% Male 79% Black 74% Single 44% No high school education/GED
Data from DTAE Fatherhood Database for 2000 (n=3112)
Barriers for 2000Barriers for 2000
57% Criminal Record- 30% Felonies- 31% Probation or parole- 47% Jail time- 19% Jail time for failure to pay
support 31% No drivers license
Data from DTAE Fatherhood Database for 2000 (n=3112)
Outcomes for 2000Outcomes for 2000
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
EmployedPaying Support
Data from DTAE Fatherhood Web Page (Data from DTAE Fatherhood Web Page (nn=3112)=3112)
ResearchResearch
Components and Results
Two Group Pretest/Posttest Two Group Pretest/Posttest DesignDesign Participants recruited at
Orientation- Paid $25 at posttest
Non-participants recruited from Court system- Paid $10 at pretest and $25 at posttest
Six month interval between measurements
Data collected in 1999
Demographics and BarriersDemographics and Barriers
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Participants (n=76) Nonparticp. (n=47)
Employment StatusEmployment Status
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Pretest Posttest
ParticipantsNon-participants
Employment StatusEmployment Status
Participants- 30%
employed on entry
- 66% employed 6 months later
Non-participants- 80%
employed at pretest
- 85% employed 6 months later
Statistically significant increase in numbers
employed for participants
WagesWages
$0.00
$2.00
$4.00
$6.00
$8.00
$10.00
$12.00
Pretest Posttest
P-EmployNon-participantsP-Unemploy
Wages – Unemployed on EntryWages – Unemployed on Entry
Participants(unemploy on
entry)- $0.00 on
entry- $9.75 at
posttest
Non-participants(employed)- $8.65 at
pretest- $9.87 at
posttestNo statistical difference between
the two groups 6 months later
Health Benefits for ChildrenHealth Benefits for Children
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Pretest Posttest
Participants Non-participants
Health Benefits for ChildrenHealth Benefits for Children
Participants- 7% benefits
on entry- 22% benefits
6 months later
Non-participants- 21% benefits
at pretest- 30% benefits
6 months laterStatistically significant
increase in health benefits for children for
participants
Conclusions for EmploymentConclusions for Employment
Enrollment in the GFP leads to higher levels of employment
Wages of participants are comparable to non-participants
Gains in health care for children
Basic Symptom Inventory Basic Symptom Inventory (BSI)(BSI)
Measure of Mental Health
Designed to reflect point-in-time patterns of psychological symptoms
Three Global Indices
BSI Global IndicesBSI Global Indices
Global Severity Index (GSI)- Global Measure of Mental
Health
Positive Symptom Total (PST)- Number of Symptoms Measure
Positive Symptom Distress Index (PSDI) - Intensity of Symptoms Measure
BSI – Fatherhood SampleBSI – Fatherhood Sample
Participants Non-participants
n % n %
Normal Diagnosis
47 66 34 76
Positive Diagnosis
23 32 11 24
Participants Participants (n=71) Non-participants Non-participants (n=45).
BSI – Fatherhood SampleBSI – Fatherhood Sample
Adult Normal Sample Participants
M SD M SD t
GSI .25 .24 .53 .61 3.82**
PST 10.06 8.35 16.06 13.15 3.84**
PSDI 1.27 .39 1.62 .80 3.69**
Normal Sample (n=361) Participants Participants (n=71). *p<.05. **p<.01. *p<.05. **p<.01.
BSI – Fatherhood SampleBSI – Fatherhood Sample
Adult Normal Sample Non-participants
M SD M SD t
GSI .25 .24 .46 .65 2.18*
PST 10.06 8.35 13.84 10.71 2.37*
PSDI 1.27 .39 1.61 .77 3.02*
Normal Sample (n=361) Non-participants Non-participants (n=45). *p<.05. **p<.01. *p<.05. **p<.01.
BSI – Intensity of Symptoms BSI – Intensity of Symptoms
(PSDI)(PSDI)
5454555556565757585859
Pretest Posttest
ParticipantsNon-participants
Conclusions for Mental HealthConclusions for Mental Health
One quarter or more of both groups were defined as a positive case on the BSI.
Both groups tested significantly different from a normal, non-patient population.
Both groups experienced an increase in the level of intensity of symptoms.
ContactsContacts
Theresa Ann Sipe- [email protected]
Danielle Ruedt– [email protected]
Stacey Bloomer– [email protected]
Georgia Fatherhood Hotline
1-888-4 FATHER [email protected]
Support for this study was provided by State of Georgia
Department of Human Resources contract 427-930-2243.