Impact Evaluation of the Saint Francis Fatherhood FIRE Program on Father Engagement and Family Outcomes

Introduction: Consistent research demonstrates engaged fathers positively influence children’s academic achievement, social behavior, and emotional well-being. Children with involved fathers are more likely to succeed in school and experience fewer social-emotional challenges. The Fatherhood FIRE program, led by Saint Francis Ministries, is an enhanced intervention designed to strengthen father-child relationships and improve fathers’ parenting and co-parenting skills. Implemented across multiple Midwestern states, the program targets adults aged 18 and older with children up to age 24, the program includes structured workshops, individualized case management, and additional supports. This study evaluates the program’s effectiveness in improving parenting skills, co-parenting quality, and father-child engagement among community-based fathers.

Method: Using a randomized controlled trial design, 731 non-incarcerated fathers were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n=367), receiving the enhanced Fatherhood FIRE program, or a business-as-usual control group (n=364). Data were collected at baseline (T1), post-intervention (T2), and three-month follow-up (T3) using validated instruments: the Inventory of Father Involvement (IFI), Daily Co-Parenting Scale (D-COP), Parenting Sense of Competency Scale (PSOC), and Romantic Partner Conflict Scale (RPCS). Each measure included subscales assessing dimensions such as father involvement, co-parenting quality, parental efficacy, and conflict management. Multi-level mixed modeling assessed intervention effects while controlling caregiver and child age, race, ethnicity, residential status, and partnership stability. Full information maximum likelihood estimation addressed missing data.

Results: Significant intervention effects emerged across several domains. At follow-up, the intervention group reported higher parenting satisfaction (PSOC Satisfaction Scale: M=44.88, SE=1.17) compared to the control group (M=43.46, SE=1.02), with a large effect size (d=-2.32). Overall parenting self-perception also improved (PSOC Total Sum). Co-parenting outcomes showed significant gains, with higher Positive Co-Parenting scores in the intervention group at follow-up (M=5.56, SE=0.18 vs. control M=4.78, SE=0.16, p=0.01, d=-1.61). The D-COP Mean Scale similarly showed improvement at T3 (p=0.02, d=-1.09). In terms of father-child engagement, the intervention group reported significantly higher scores on the IFI Time Scale at post-intervention (M=6.09, SE=0.11 vs. control M=5.89,

SE=0.10, p=0.05, d=-1.69). No significant differences were observed in romantic relationship measures.

Discussion: Findings support the effectiveness of the enhanced Fatherhood FIRE intervention, particularly in improving parenting competence, co-parenting relationships, and father-child engagement. The sustained effects of three-month follow-up suggest the potential for longer-term impact. These results contribute to the evidence base for comprehensive fatherhood programming and underscore the value of integrating parenting and co-parenting support. Although participant attrition is a limitation, the observed improvements with large effect sizes highlight the program’s promise for strengthening family functioning across diverse communities. Future research should explore mechanisms of change and strategies to improve participant retention and engagement.