Involved Parents: Characteristics and Resources of Fathers and Mothers of Young Handicapped Children

Who are the families who choose to participate in an early intervention program tailored to meet the needs of traditionally underserved members of the young handicapped child's family? In an HCEEP project for fathers and their infants and toddlers, both parents completed a set of measures that provided demographic information, as well as data in the following areas: paternal information needs; family responsibilities; parent levels of depression; personal time; organized group affiliation; and satisfaction with their present situations. Fathers who participated in the pilot program for the project were compared to newly enrolled fathers along these variables, and husbands' and wives' responses were compared. Fathers who had been in the pilot program were less depressed, had more positive feelings about their interactions with their children, and had greater access to social supports than the newly enrolled fathers. Predisposing variables associated with families' program participation are discussed.