The impact of SafeCare® Dads to Kids program on father maltreatment risk and involvement: Outcomes and lessons learned from an efficacy trial.

Child Maltreatment (CM) is a public health problem, and experts recommend parent training programs as a prevention method. Few programs target fathers, even though male caregivers are involved as perpetrators in approximately 45% of substantiated CM cases. This study examines the efficacy of an adapted version of SafeCare (Dad2K) with marginalized fathers.

Initial Findings from a Feasibility Trial Examining the SafeCare Dad to Kids Program with Marginalized Fathers.

Few studies have explored the direct impact of behavioral parent training programs on child maltreatment behaviors among marginalized, at-risk fathers. This feasibility study examined SafeCare® Dad to Kids (Dad2K), an augmented version of the evidence-based child maltreatment prevention program SafeCare, to determine the acceptability and initial efficacy of the program for improving father parenting skills and reducing maltreatment risk. Ninety-nine fathers were enrolled in the study and randomized to the SafeCare Dad2K Intervention (=51) or comparison (=48).