DadTime Mobile App Project

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.

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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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