Princeton-Columbia research project explores family dynamics, welfare

Researchers at Princeton and Columbia University recently completed the first portion of a $17 million study investigating the effect of government welfare and child-support policies on children and families. Their work, published in a special edition of "The Child and Youth Services Review" released yesterday, is entitled "The Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study."

The most significant finding of the study according to Julien Teitler — one of the researchers — may dispel "contrary to what many people have assumed, most unwed fathers are very much involved at the time of their child's birth," Teitler said. "Only a little less than half are living with the mothers, and the vast majority are in some sort of relationship with the mother and have contributed financially during pregnancy. The vast majority intend to remain involved."

Other studies similar to "Fragile Families" are likely to be released in coming months, as several other branches of research have begun as offshoots from this project. The related studies will look at issues such as child abuse and neglect, childcare and the incarceration of parents. According to Teitler, each of the studies will focus on the effects on the child and the family.

The investigation was organized by the University's Center for Research on Child Wellbeing — an interdisciplinary center within the office of population studies and the Wilson School — and the Social Indicators Survey Center at the Columbia School of Social Work. It was led by Wildon School professors Sara McLanahan and Irwin Garfinkel of Columbia.

They were assisted by four co-researchers: Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, Marta Tienda, Teitler and Nancy Riechmen.

This portion of their study— commonly referred to as the "Fragile Families" study — reports on the group's findings from seven U.S. cities, including Philadelphia — which provided an initial base for the study as a whole — Austin, Tx. and Oakland, Calif. With the addition of four more cities to that list in early 1999, the study began to take shape.

According to Teitler, who is a professor of social work at Columbia and has been involved in every stage of the study, the data was taken almost entirely by interviewing new mothers — most of whom were interviewed while still in the hospital after giving birth — as well as the new fathers.

"The [women] for the baseline study — the study featured in the report — were mainly interviewed in the hospital," Teitler said. "We also tried to interview the father, if the father showed up. If no father showed up, the interviewer tried to contact him outside the hospital either by phone or in person. Everyone got exactly the same survey and the same questions."

According to Christina Norland, a research assistant during the study and now its communications director, the information and results collected for the publication of the journal article are still evolving. "[T]he results are by no means final," she said.

Nonetheless, even at this point those involved in the project say they believe important insight has been gained into understanding the ways in which the parents' relationship affects their children, and how that should affect government policy.

Teitler, one of the researchers, said the study may also help to dispel some widely held myths about unwed fathers, their intentions and the roles in which they envision themselves.

Those involved in this foundation-building study say they believe much can be learned, and put into practice, in terms of public policy decisions.

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"It is still a little early to tell which of the [government] policies are harmful [to families], but we are able to see what may still be helpful, said Norland. "First of all, we are going to have to start treating these fragile families as families, and the fathers as members."