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National Fatherhood Initiative's 24/7 Dad

Evidence Rating
Strategies with this rating have limited research documenting effects. These strategies need further research, often with stronger designs, to confirm effects.
Disparity Rating
No impact on disparities likely
Community Conditions
Safety and social support
Authors
Lead: Bomi Kim Hirsch
Contributor(s): Alison Bergum, Lael Grigg
Acknowledgements: Komal Dasani, Jessica Rubenstein
Date Last Updated
September 26, 2017

24/7 Dad is a voluntary, comprehensive fatherhood program designed to help men improve their parenting skills and fathering knowledge. The program focuses on building self-awareness, self-caring, and parenting, fathering, and relationship skills through 12 weekly, two-hour group or individual sessions (NFI).

What could this strategy improve?

Expected Benefits

Our evidence rating is based on the likelihood of achieving these outcomes:

  • Improved parenting

Potential Benefits

Our evidence rating is not based on these outcomes, but these benefits may also be possible:

  • Improved family functioning

What does the research say about effectiveness? -+

There is insufficient evidence to determine whether 24/7 Dad improves parenting skills. Available evidence suggests that program participation may improve knowledge about and attitudes towards parenting for a variety of populations (Lewin-Bizan 2015, Hyra 2011, Evans-Rhodes 2010), including those under correctional supervision (da Rosa 2012). Program participation may also increase fathers’ involvement with their children and improve the quality of the parent-child relationship (Lewin-Bizan 2015). Additional evidence is needed to confirm effects.

Implementation Resources -+

NFI-Fathersource - National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI). Fathersource.

Citations -+

da Rosa 2012 - da Rosa GD, Melby JN. Report on prisoner reentry project: Analysis of 24/7 Dad pre- and post-test results. Ames: Iowa State University; 2012.

Evans-Rhodes 2010 - Evans-Rhodes D. Dads matters performance measure 2009-2010: Preliminary results for confidence and knowledge. Germantown: National Fatherhood Initiative; 2010.

Hyra 2011 - Hyra A. Outcome evaluation of Puerto Rican Family Institute’s fatherhood involvement grant activities. Washington, D.C.: Hyra Consulting; 2011.

Lewin-Bizan 2015 - Lewin-Bizan S. 24/7 Dad Program in Hawaii: Sample, design, and preliminary results. National Fatherhood Initiative; 2015.

NFI - National Fatherhood Initiative.