ABSTRACT

Research Finding: Traditional fathering programs have missed an opportunity to reflect the unique family patterns and service needs of Hispanic and Latino fathers. In addition, family engagement strategies in early childhood programs have typically focused on mothers. The aim of this study was to adapt, implement, and evaluate a 6-week video coaching program, Filmando Interacciones para Nutrir el Desarrollo (FIND_FM; Filming Interactions to Nurture Development) with Mexican American fathers and their young children (n= 33). FIND_FM was delivered through home visits, promoted warm and responsive father-child interactions, and used video to emphasize each father’s parenting strengths in the context of everyday caretaking moments. Utilizing a randomized waitlist control design, we found that fathers who received FIND_FM had higher levels of encouragement, lower levels of parenting stress, higher levels of identity dedicated to the fathering role, and reported lower levels of children’s behavior problems at posttest relative to the control group. Further, there was a moderately strong relationship between increases in fathers’ encouragement and reported decreases in children’s behavior problems, which supports a central pathway in FIND_FM’s theory of change. Practice or Policy: FIND_FM offers a promising approach to leverage existing early childhood home visiting services to better meet Mexican American fathers’ needs.