Fathers in home visiting: An examination of father participation in Iowa MIECHV

In this dissertation, father participation in early childhood home visits was examined using observational data from 50 Maternal Infant Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) home visits where a father figure was present for a visit with a mother receiving services and a target child two years old or younger. The sample included 34 different home visitors. Videos were coded using the HVOF-R and HOVRS A+ observational tools. Fathers were more present and available during home visits than previous research indicates (Holmberg & Olds, 2015; McBride & Peterson, 1997; Raikes, Summers & Roggman, 2005). A father-figure was present in 25.1% of the initial home visit videos with a mother recorded for the state-led MIECHV evaluation. When fathers were home during the visit, they were available for 76.4% of parent-involved home visit activities. Average father engagement when he was available was 3.5 on a 1 to 7 scale. When available, fathers were included in parent-involved home visit activities by the home visitor an average of 42.5% of the time. Roggman, Boyce and Innocenti’s (2008) developmental parenting approach for early childhood practitioners and Korfmacher et al’s (2008) model for influences on parent involvement in early childhood home visiting were used as a conceptual framework. No home visitor practices were significantly related to father availability. Home visitor inclusion of the father was the only home visitor practice in this study significantly predictive of his engagement. Father engagement increased .053 (p < .01) for each percent increase of father inclusive practices by the home visitor. In addition, father inclusive practices explained a significant proportion of variance in father engagement, R 2 = .702, F(1, 48) = 112.43, p < .001. The home visitor having a social science degree resulted in an increase in father inclusive practices by 14.50% (p < .05).