Purpose: Increasingly, studies have shown that paternal involvement significantly affects outcomes for children. However, young fathers' involvement has been understudied and much of the focus of paternal involvement has been upon adult fathers. As well, research and services for adult fathers cannot simply be transposed onto young fathers. Given the developmental differences between adulthood and adolescence, it is likely that the configuration of father involvement varies. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the nature of young fathers' involvement with their children upon entry to a fatherhood program and at subsequent follow-up, and identify the barriers they face. Themes of involvement are identified, as well as changes between reports at intake and follow-up. Additionally, the themes that emerged in this study reveal that dimensions of adult paternal involvement are somewhat different in comparison with adult fathers' involvement.

Methods: A teen health clinic at a major medical center in the Southwest offers a program for young fathers. This study examined self-report data from 38 low-income young African American fathers participating the program. Young fathers responded to open ended questions asking them to describe the relationships with their children. Thematic analysis was utilized to identify themes at intake and follow-up.

Results: Three themes emerged from the thematic analysis: Positive Emotionality, Accessibility and Engagement. The theme Positive Emotionality was characterized by young fathers' positive expressions of emotions about their children. Engagement was illustrated by statements that described interactions between the young fathers and children. Finally, Accessibility was exemplified by expressions that demonstrated difficulties young fathers experience in accessing their children. A comparison between thematic categories at intake and follow-up revealed that the most dramatic shift occurred in regard to Engagement. A third of the young fathers shifted from describing Positive Emotionality at intake to the more active process of Engagement at follow-up. The area that showed little change between intake to follow-up was related to Accessibility. These results may suggest that for young fathers becoming more involved with their children is a process which can be facilitated by participating in a fatherhood program.

Implications:

Findings from the thematic analysis suggest that these young fathers have a desire to be involved with their children. The study offers insights into stages of and barriers to involvement and provides useful intervention information for researchers and service providers. Increased skills in parenting, communication and problem solving may assist young fathers with the barriers that they face. Moreover, as the findings of this study highlight the relationship between accessibility and financial responsibility, it is clear that programs should also focus on assisting young fathers in gaining employment. However, as young fathers experience multiple challenges in securing employment, programs have to develop creative strategies to help young fathers. Due to the paucity of research in the area of young fathers' paternal involvement, more research on the configuration of involvement needs to be undertaken. Additional studies pertaining to this group are necessary in order to eventually develop best practices.