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    • Completed: Parental Physical Punishment
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    • Completed: Fathers and Risk for Child Maltreatment
    • Completed: CBPR Parenting Support for Fathers
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DadTime Mobile App Project

father kissing infant
As a part of the Building Bridges and Bonds (B3) evaluation project led by MDRC on behalf of the U.S. Administration for Children and Families, Dr. Lee developed content for a mobile app called DadTime. DadTime is designed for low-income fathers who are participating in a father-focused parenting program with their young child (ages 0-3). The goal of the DadTime app is to keep fathers engaged in parenting sessions by reducing their barriers to program participation, so that they attend all of the program sessions and receive a full dose of the fatherhood curriculum. The second goal of the DadTime app is to provide “booster shots” to increase participants’ opportunities to practice the skills that they learned during participation in the fatherhood parenting program sessions. The DadTime app is currently being tested in a RCT study to examine whether it helps fathers stay engaged (e.g., increases attendance rates) in the parenting program. DadTime is being tested in conjunction with an RCT of a fatherhood program called Just Beginning. ​

The Building Bridges & Bonds (B3) study team released an introductory brief. It details approaches that support fathers in working toward economic stability and improved relationships with their children.

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS
MDRC
COLLABORATORS
Shawna J. Lee, PhD, & Tova B. Walsh, PhD
RELATED PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS

  • Lee, S.J., Balu, R., & Walsh, T. (2019, March). Development and testing of a smartphone app to reduce fathers' barriers to participation in fatherhood programs. Paper presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD), Baltimore, MD.
  • Balu, R., Lee, S., & Steimle, S. (2018, July). Encouraging attendance and engagement in parenting programs: Developing a smartphone application with fathers, for fathers. OPRE Report 2018-68. Washington, DC: Office for Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 
  • Balu, R., Lee, S.J., & Walsh, T. (2017, November). Incorporating behavioral science into a smartphone app to reduce fathers’ barriers to participation in fatherhood programs. Paper presented at the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM) 39th Annual Fall Research Conference, Chicago, IL. 
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EMAIL

shawnal@umich.edu

Phone

734-763-6565

ADDRESS

University of Michigan
School of Social Work
1080 S. University
Ann Arbor, MI 48109

connection

​Dr. Shawna J. Lee is Director of the Parenting in Context Research Lab, which operates as a part of the University of Michigan School of Social Work.
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​​© 2022 by the Regents of the University of Michigan. Do not utilize or distribute any materials found on this website without prior approval from the University of Michigan School of Social Work. For permissions or questions, please call the University of Michigan School of Social Work at 734-763-6565, or email us at parentingincontext@umich.edu.
  • Home
  • Research Projects
    • Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey Studies
    • Learn About the Stress and Parenting During a Pandemic
    • Transactional Processes Supporting Father Involvement
    • Healthy Start Engaged Father Program >
      • Engaged Father Toolkit
    • DadTime Mobile App Project
    • Men's Health, Fatherhood, and Relationships Study
    • Completed: Parental Physical Punishment
    • Completed: Text4Dad
    • Completed: Fathers and Risk for Child Maltreatment
    • Completed: CBPR Parenting Support for Fathers
    • Completed: mDad (Mobile Device Assisted Dad)
    • Completed: Stay-at-home Fathers
    • Completed: Positive Tech
  • Team
  • Publications
  • News & Events
    • Events
    • Recent Activities
    • Media
  • Collaborators