"Wanting to Be a Good Father": Experiences of Adolescent Fathers of Mexican Descent in a Teen Fathers Program

Adolescent fatherhood has received limited attention in research and clinical practice. This article describes the design and implementation of a parenting program for adolescent fathers, largely minority, involved in the juvenile justice system. In the teen fathers groups, adolescent fathers were exposed to therapeutic (e.g., family-of-origin) as well as psychoeducational (e.g., child development and parenting) interventions. Findings from a descriptive phenomenological study with six former group participants indicate that the program is an effective way of assisting teen fathers in increasing their commitment as fathers as well as their involvement with their children.