FCHIP's 2024 Summer Update

The Family and Child Health Innovations Program (FCHIP) has several updates to share following Father’s Day, 2024. While we have been fielding PRAMS for Dads surveys in five states, our work has been shared from NPR to Capitol Hill.

From FCHIP Founder and Director Craig Garfield, MD, MAPP
June is an exciting month with Pride celebrations, Juneteenth and of course Father’s Day! In the run up to Father’s Day, Congressman Jimmy Gomez, founder of the Congressional Dads Caucus, invited me to present our groundbreaking work on fathers at a Congressional Round Table. The response was overwhelming, with over 100 people in attendance, all looking for ways to support fathers and families. The day culminated with an awards ceremony Chasten Buttigieg and the Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff (also known as VP Harris’ husband!). In addition, with the help of Jill Fraggos and Rob Bradner from Lurie’s Government Relations team, I met with many of the members of the Illinois delegation who again pledged their interest to elevating the voice of fathers through public health monitoring. I do feel the beginnings of a sea change when it comes to taking a more inclusive view when we think of who impacts child and family outcomes. I left Washington buoyed with renewed energy and commitment to the hard work we all are doing on behalf of families and children.

Onward!
- Craig 

PRAMS for Dads Gets Attention from Congress

FCHIP serves as a coordinating center for PRAMS for Dads, a survey of fathers that occurs soon after the birth of a baby. In March, eighteen members of the Congressional Dads Caucus and Black Maternal Health Caucus signed a letter urging Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to support funding expanding PRAMS for Dads. The letter was featured in a press release on Rep. Gomez's website.

In the letter, Representatives Jimmy Gomez, Lauren Underwood, and Alma Adams stated, “Though PRAMS collects detailed data on maternal and infant health, minimal data is collected about fathers and their roles in their families’ lives and no public health data is collected directly from fathers.” Representative Gomez also discussed his support for PRAMS for Dads on NPR’s Here & Now.

PRAMS for Dads has also drawn the attention of Georgia Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock. In a letter to the Georgia Department of Public Health, Senator Warnock expressed his strong support for the project. He stated, “As a dad myself, I know that the transition into the life-changing and important role of fatherhood can be a powerful lever for change.” 

FCHIP in the News

In a recent opinion article on The Hill, Dr. Garfield and Tova Walsh, PhD, MSW, MS, discuss the impact of fathers on child health. They offer several strategies that can be implemented at the local, state, and national levels to increase support for fathers.

Interviews with Dr. Garfield were shared on several platforms leading up to Father’s Day, including NPR’s Here & Now podcast, Fox 32 Chicago local news, and Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute's In Pursuit podcast. In Pursuit is available on all major platforms, including Apple Podcasts, iHeart, Spotify, and YouTube.

Fatherhood and Cardiovascular Health

A new study from the FCHIP research team John James (JJ) Parker, MD, led a recently published study investigating associations between fatherhood and cardiovascular health. Results showed that fathers had worse overall cardiovascular health compared to non-fathers, but that fathers have lower rates of death than nonfathers. The authors conclude that fatherhood is a social determinant of health and understanding its influence may provide opportunities to improve men’s health, particularly among men of color. Read more about the study on Northwestern Now, Newsweek, and the New York Post.