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Sociologists at BYU and Ball State have found that a majority of fathers today are relatively involved in their children's lives. Whether it's physically being there for a baseball game or piano recital, or emotionally being there to provide warmth or support in a tough time, there appears to be a shift in how fathers are viewing their roles. "We found that today's dads spend more time, provide more care and are more loving toward their kids than ever before," said Kevin Shafer, BYU...

This article was produced in partnership with WMFE, which is a member of the ProPublica Local Reporting Network . On the morning of June 12, 2016, police officer Omar Delgado pulled his cruiser up to his two-story townhome in Sanford, Florida, and sat in silence for 15 minutes, trying to process what he had seen during 3 1/2 hours inside the Pulse nightclub. He stripped his bloody uniform and gear off, put them in a trash bag, and took a shower. Then, he shut the door to his bedroom, locked...

As a passionate advocate for children and families to thrive and recognizing the barriers and violence created by racism, I’d like to share some reflections on the journey toward racial equity that we are taking in Broward County, Florida. The first thing we learned is the importance of making space to have these brave conversations about race and racism and how it is hurting all of us. By September, we hope to have 900 government and nonprofit staff and community partners, including law...

How do we know when public space supports health, and when processes that shape public spaces are inclusive? Despite the growing evidence connecting place and health, design and physical activity, the natural environment and mental well-being, and more, there are few available resources to help planners and policymakers identify the kind of real evidence that is needed to help make decisions and fund public space projects that promote individual and community health and well-being.

Good cheer, happiness, family and a spirit of giving are a big part of the holiday season. But for many people, stress and loneliness are major players that upset plans to stay positive. If your tension level rises when the decor goes up, you are not alone. It is common for some people to feel more anxious or lonely as the season begins. Holiday stress can trigger negative thinking that builds on itself. To avoid this cycle, we can take this opportunity to find new comforts and enjoy the...

Jamel needs help. He is part of a street gang, he sleeps in school, he’s failing his classes and he’s often absent from school. Jamel’s mom can’t pay the bills, his dad isn’t involved at all and CPS is about to remove Jamel and his siblings from the home. A therapist is assigned to assist Jamel and his family but there has been little progress in nearly a year. Jamel’s therapist developed a plan and she wanted it to work but it wasn’t. Jamel and his mother wanted the plan to work too but it...

Recently, we did an object lesson as part of our Resilience-based series that I call “the Wall.” We talked about how bad things happen in this world despite having a loving God that looks over us. We make bad choices at times that hurt us, and others make bad choices that hurt us. In general, there is a lot of brokenness in relationships that causes a lot of damage. So, I told the children, we learn how to protect ourselves. Just like castles have BIG walls or our cottages on campus have...

Second in a three-part series about solutions for sexual assault. High rates of sexual assaults on college campuses get a lot of attention — and rightly so. But do you know what group has higher rates of sexual assault and rape than college women? College-age women who aren’t in college . These sexual assaults, unfortunately, don’t get a lot of attention. One reason is that while college women gather in a place that’s held responsible for their safety, non-college women are scattered.

Mothers who 'connect' with their baby during pregnancy are more likely to interact in a more positive way with their infant after it is born, according to a study carried out at the University of Cambridge. Interaction is important for helping infants learn and develop. Researchers at the Centre for Family Research carried out a meta-analysis, reviewing all published studies in the field, in an attempt to demonstrate conclusively whether there was a link with the way parents think about...

Crow Wing County officials are taking a new tact in dealing with issues such as suicide, juvenile offenses and dropout rates by partnering with Bridges of Hope for a "self-healing community." The idea is to "engage the public, inspire innovation, support peer helping and ease the daily stress burden of parents to promote change so that together communities can better protect and nurture the next generation." "We actually were the instigators of this whole idea," Community Services Director...

The sci-fi writer William Gibson once said, “The future has arrived — it’s just not evenly distributed yet.” In America in 2018, the same could be said of authoritarianism. Since Donald Trump was elected, there’s been a boom in best-selling books about the fragility of liberal democracy, including Madeleine Albright’s “Fascism: A Warning,” and Timothy Snyder’s “On Tyranny.” Many have noted that the president’s rhetoric abounds in classic fascist tropes, including the demonization of...

Ezra Spitzer is executive director of the New Mexico Child Advocacy Network (NMCAN), which recently saw its bill offering incentives to employers to hire foster youth signed into law. Prior to joining NMCAN, Spitzer spent two years in the Peace Corps in post-Soviet Uzbekistan. The Chronicle sat down with Spitzer in Albuquerque, N.M., following a celebration of NMCAN’s legislative victory . When did NMCAN first start focusing on youth engagement, and how has the work changed over the years?