Research updates, program milestones, upcoming events, and opportunities to engage with the I.T.S. Fatherhood Research Center community.
Join us for research symposia, community dialogues, and program workshops.
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM EDT · Howard University, Washington D.C.
The annual Fatherhood Research Symposium brings together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and community leaders to exchange findings, challenge assumptions, and advance the field of fatherhood research. Featured panels will address digital era fathering, reentry programming, and community-informed research methodologies.
Register →6:00 PM – 8:00 PM CDT · Virtual (Zoom)
This Father's Table session focuses on the intersection of economic opportunity and fatherhood engagement. Facilitated by center researchers, the dialogue will draw on findings from the Economic Mobility report and invite fathers to share their lived experiences navigating employment and family life.
Register →10:00 AM – 12:00 PM CST · Virtual (Zoom)
A training session for community partners and program staff on ethical, community-informed data collection methods. Participants will learn interview protocols, consent procedures, and data documentation practices used by the I.T.S. Fatherhood Research Center.
Register →11:00 AM – 1:00 PM CDT · Chicago Community Center, Chicago, IL
The third session of the evidence-based Co-Parenting Support Circle workshop series focuses on conflict resolution frameworks. Participants will practice structured communication techniques drawn from validated co-parenting research and develop personalized conflict de-escalation plans.
Research releases, program updates, and media coverage.
The I.T.S. Fatherhood Research Center has released its comprehensive Annual Fatherhood Outcomes Report, synthesizing findings from three longitudinal studies and over 1,200 interviews conducted across six cities.
The center has formalized research collaboration agreements with three leading university social work programs, expanding data collection capacity and enabling cross-institutional longitudinal studies on fatherhood engagement.
The MetaDad Virtual Mentorship program has achieved a significant milestone, with 500 fathers now enrolled across eight metropolitan areas. Early outcome data shows 87% of participants report increased parenting confidence.
Center Director Dr. Marcus Whitfield delivered a keynote address at the National Fatherhood Policy Summit, presenting findings from the center's longitudinal study on father presence and academic outcomes.
A newly released research brief examines communication patterns in 534 unmarried co-parenting households, identifying four typologies with distinct implications for family court policy and community-based programming.