Serving Young Fathers in Responsible Fatherhood Programs

Young fathers (that is, fathers under age 30) are uniquely situated to benefit from Responsible Fatherhood (RF) programs, which provide services to support parenting, healthy relationships, and economic stability. Young fathers are typically more likely to be regular contact with their children and their children’s mother — compared to older fathers—but have limited parenting experience, making the parenting and relationship supports particularly helpful. Young fathers also may not be as financially secure as older fathers, and therefore could be more likely to benefit from employment services.

This white paper aims to provide insights into how best to serve young fathers in RF programs. It first provides a description of young fathers who are currently enrolled in a federally-funded RF program and how this group compares to older fathers. It also explores common challenges that RF programs face related to recruiting and engaging young fathers in their services, and it offers strategies that programs can use to help overcome these challenges.