Although an extensive literature has shown that family structure is linked with child well-being, less well understood is how the dynamics within families affect children, in particular the extent to which positive mother–father relationship quality is linked with children’s outcomes. In this study the authors used data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 773) to examine how couple supportiveness in stable coresident families is related to children’s externalizing and internalizing behavioral problems over ages 3 through 9. Using latent growth curve and fixed effects models, they found that parents’ greater supportiveness has a slight association with lower levels of children’s behavioral problems. Using cross-lagged structural equation models to examine the direction of the association, they also found some evidence that parents’ relationship quality and children’s behavioral problems are reciprocally related. Overall, this study suggests that more positive couple interactions are beneficial for children residing with both of their biological parents.

The literature on father involvement suggests that the value men ascribe to being a father is important for understanding their involvement with their children, yet this theory has received only limited empirical attention. Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 3,197), I examined the association between the psychological centrality of men's father identity at the time their child was born and their trajectories of involvement during their child's first 5 years, paying particular attention to differences by fathers' residence status. I found that the centrality of the father identity predicted future levels of fathers' involvement net of a large number of fathers' personal and family characteristics and that these patterns generally remained stable over time. These results suggest that programs and interventions designed to enhance men's father identity early in their child's life may have long-lasting implications for their continued involvement with their children.

Nonmarital childbearing has increased dramatically during the past several decades, and the majority of unmarried couples will break up while their child is still young. As a result, many children will be raised by their biological parents living apart, ideally working together as effective co-parents. In this paper, we use data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N= 1,193) to describe the trajectories of coparenting over six years following the end of a nonmarital relationship and to identify individual and interpersonal characteristics associated with better coparenting over time. Results from growth mixture models suggest that there are four primary trajectories of coparenting over time, and results from multinomial logit models show that couples’ race/ethnicity, maternal health, and parents’ relationship and fertility characteristics are the most salient predictors of coparenting trajectories. These results highlight the heterogeneity of parents’ interaction vis-à-vis their common child after a nonmarital union dissolves and point to the challenges of supporting families and children amidst high instability.

The percentage of children in the United States living apart from their biological father has increased, while public assistance for single mothers has diminished. This has resulted in a need to better understand and promote nonresident fathers’ economic support of their children. In the present study the author used data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 1,752) to examine how coparenting—the degree to which parents are mutually supportive and cooperative in raising their child—is related to nonresident fathers’ monetary contributions. Results from pooled regression and fixed effects models indicate that coparenting is positively associated with fathers’ likelihood of paying formal and informal child support and the amount of these payments. Findings from cross-lagged structural equation models suggest that the association between coparenting and fathers’ payments is reciprocal but that coparenting has a stronger effect on fathers’ payments than fathers’ payments do on coparenting.

Gute et al. | Peer Reviewed | Field Action Report | S495⏐ FIELD ACTION REPORT ⏐ We reviewed the key steps in the launch of the Vida Verde Women's Co-Op among Brazilian immigrant housecleaners in Somerville, MA. The co-op provides green housecleaning products, encourages healthy work practices, and promotes a sense of community among its members. We conducted in-depth interviews with 8 of the first co-op members, who reported a reduction in symptoms associated with the use of traditional cleaning agents and a new sense of mutual support. Critical to the co-op's success have been the supportive roles of its academic partners (Tufts University and the University of Massachusetts, Lowell), effective media outreach, and a focus on advancing social justice. Next steps include implementing a formal business plan and assessing the appropriateness of cooperatives in other industries. (Am J Public Health. 2009;99:S495-S498.