The total expenditures added up to a startling $99.8 billion.
In 2008 a study, the first of its kind, provided insight into the estimate cost to taxpayers due to father absence. It estimated the annual expenditures made by the U.S. federal government to support father absent homes. The total expenditures added up to a startling $99.8 billion.
The study supports the facts that father absence contributes to financial poverty. Thirty-nine percent of single-mother families live in poverty. But only 8.8% of families with fathers present lived in poverty. The $99.8 billion was spent on programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), child support enforcement, food and nutrition programs, housing programs and the State Children’s Health Insurance Plan (SCHIP).
The $99.8 billion cost is a conservative estimate, as it leaves out 3 significant, but hard to measure, sources of costs: In 2010, President Obama signed the Claims Resolution Act which provided $150 million per year in grants to promote healthy marriage ($75 million) and responsible fatherhood ($75 million).
Federal benefits programs that improve whole communities or individuals regardless of income.
Indirect costs related to the poor outcomes of children of single-mother families, such as greater use of mental and physical health services, and a higher rate of involvement in the juvenile justice system.
Long-term costs in reduced tax income due to the lower earnings of children of single-parent families, and long-term costs due to the higher incarceration of children of single-parent families.
The most obvious consequence of father absence is the effect it has on household income, and the corresponding increase in single-mother households’ use of means-tested benefits programs. The best overall aggregate estimate available is that 20.1 percent of single mothers would leave poverty if marriage rates returned to what they were in 1970.
For a complete copy of the white paper, “Fathering Strong – The Real Epidemic Today” click here.
To learn more about the new Fathering Strong online community click here.
Interested in a 7-day devotional focused on becoming a better father? Go to the new YouVersion bible study authored by Eli Williams. Click here to go to the devotional.
By Spring of 2022 there had been 250 mass shootings which had killed more than 256 people and injured 1,010 through the end of May. Many of the young male perpetrators had problems going on at home. Whether the father was physically or mentally absent the shooter were lacking a father. Mass shooters have been known to have a mental illness, delinquent behavior, and violent tendencies. They also frequently do not attend school, hate it, or are failing out. These are all problems shown to be caused by an absent father.
A large factor missing in the life of mass shooters is a positive psychosocial influence. In a study conducted by the Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology it was shown that 85% of the mass school shooters they researched suffered with depression. When they spoke of depression this included diagnosed depression or significant symptoms including suicidality, anhedonia, hopelessness, guilt, and sadness.
This lack of a positive psychosocial influence meant:
a lack of established academic or other goals in their lives
little to no encouragement to make goals for their lives and seek to complete them
Researchers concluded that children with a positive psychosocial influence are less likely to engage in mass violence. In 2016, psychologist Dr. Peter Langman compiled biographical data on 56 American school shooters. He found that 82% had grown up in dysfunctional family situations, usually without two biological parents at home. The trend sadly continues. The shooter in Uvalde, Texas had not lived with his father in years. The Sandy Hook shooter hadn’t seen his father in the two years leading up to that massacre.
For a complete copy of the white paper, “Fathering Strong – The Real Epidemic Today” click here.
To learn more about the new Fathering Strong online community click here.
Interested in a 7-day devotional focused on becoming a better father? Go to the new YouVersion bible study authored by Eli Williams. Click here to go to the devotional.
Father absence places children and communities at a greater risk for many of the problems that law enforcement deals with daily.
The data supports the root cause for most problems in society today could be prevented if fathers were present and actively involved in their child(ren)’s life. The research points to the importance of father involvement as a protective factor against these top five areas that effect a child’s well-being.
Higher rate of depression and suicide
The quality of father involvement is associated with higher levels behavioral problems. Research found that children with stable father figures had better cognitive and socio-emotional outcomes.
Greater Chance of Substance Abuse
The quality of a father’s involvement has direct correlation to early substance abuse regardless of gender. An absent father, children with abusive fathers or those that abuse drugs are at a much higher risk.
Higher rate of crime
Father absence has been closely linked to criminal activity for young men and was a predictor for higher rates of youth assault. Also, a poor-quality relationship has an impact on delinquency.
Earlier Sexual Activity
Studies link earlier and riskier sexual behavior to father absence. Adolescents from father absent homes were 3.5 times more likely to experience pregnancy than were adolescents from father-present homes.
Poor Educational Outcomes
The duration of a father’s absence has been proven to be a factor in a child’s educational success. The lowest achievement and highest risk of school failure was from adolescents without resident father figures.
Effects of Father Absence on the Mother’s Well-being
If the dad is involved, it means good health outcomes for mom and baby.
Fathers not only effect their child’s well-being with their absence but the mothers of their children as well. Contemporary culture encourages promiscuity by redefining freedom and prioritizing autonomy over responsibility. When sex outside the marriage becomes normal, it is mostly the women who are left on their own to raise the resulting children.
Antenatal depression can creep up in the absence of a husband/partner. It has been shown that mothers who are either married to, or co-parenting with a father have less stress in their parenting. Even if it is just a matter of helping with chores or interacting with your child it provides less stress for the mother. If the dad is involved, it means good health outcomes for mom and baby. In a national sample of women ages 10-19 who experienced pregnancy, it was observed that a lack of partner support correlated with harmful birth outcomes. Low birth weight that often results in child loss was less likely in pregnancies where the pregnant mother was receiving partner support. Specifically, teens that are pregnant and have partner support are less likely to have preterm birth. If the dad is involved, it means good health outcomes for mom and baby.
A study conducted in 2018 revealed that when fathers showed low sensitivity, high intrusiveness, and provided little opportunities for child social engagement, the family process was less cohesive. This implies a decrease in the family’s harmonious, warm, and collaborative style.
For a complete copy of the white paper, “Fathering Strong – The Real Epidemic Today” click here.
To learn more about the new Fathering Strong online community click here.
Interested in a 7-day devotional focused on becoming a better father? Go to the new YouVersion bible study authored by Eli Williams. Click here to go to the devotional.
Children need an involved father in their lives. Research has proven that children that grow up with a father in their lives do better in almost every aspect that was measured.
In a study conducted by professors at the University of Missouri it was found that adolescents who had resident biological or adoptive fathers were shown to have higher GPAs than those with unknown fathers. Adolescents with unknown fathers, deceased fathers, and non-residential fathers all had lower GPAs than those with residential biological fathers. Divorce, non-marital birth, and child abandonment all negatively affect a child’s GPA and their ability to do well in school.
A subsample of Black adolescents from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health revealed the impact a father figure (i.e. non-biological fathers) can have on the education of a child. The research showed that:
female adolescents and participants who had a parent who attended college were more likely to believe they would finish college
adolescents with nonresident, biological fathers were less likely to expect to finish college
communication about school yielded the most significant positive influence on participant’s grades
Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, they studied the influence of six different categories of father type—resident biological fathers, resident stepfathers, resident adoptive fathers, non-resident biological fathers, unknown biological fathers, and deceased fathers—on adolescents’ school performance from seventh through twelfth grade. The researchers found that:
adolescents with resident biological fathers had higher school performance than adolescents with nonresident fathers
adolescents with stepfathers had higher rates of school failure than those who lived with their biological parents
adolescents without a resident father figure and didn’t know the identity of their fathers had the highest risk of school failure
The National Fatherhood Initiative released in 2015 eight areas where a child’s life improved due to having a father in their lives.
Better able to control their emotions – these children were less likely to have emotional or behavioral problems and four times less likely to have a mood disorder.
Better physical health – children with involved fathers were less likely to be overweight and 2 times less likely to die as infants.
Healthier relationships – a good, involved father’s views affect what his daughter looks for in a boyfriend or husband. His views affect what kind of dad or husband his son will become.
Feel safe and confident – children are safer when their dad lives with them. Children that grow up without a father are at a greater risk of child abuse.
Less likely to use drugs and alcohol – children who abuse drugs and alcohol do so because they lack the love and connection a father and other family members provide.
Perform better in school – when a father is present children are more likely to get A’s, 2 times less likely to repeat a grade, and less likely to have behavioral problems in school.
Less likely to be poor – when a father is present children are 4 times less likely to live in poverty
More likely to stay out of trouble – fathers play an important role in keeping children from taking harmful risks and committing crimes.
For a complete copy of the white paper, “Fathering Strong – The Real Epidemic Today” click here.
To learn more about the new Fathering Strong online community click here.
Interested in a 7-day devotional focused on becoming a better father? Go to the new YouVersion bible study authored by Eli Williams. Click here to go to the devotional.
At a national level 18.4 million children are living without their biological father.
Father absence disproportionally affects black children, and nearly a quarter of American children live in father-absent homes. The table below identifies the percentages by ethnicity.
In 2017, 35% of unmarried parents cohabitated and 53% of unmarried parents were solo mothers. Resident fathers had consistently higher levels of involvement than separated/divorced and nonresident fathers; however, both types of fathers did not have statistically different involvement when their child was 1 year old. Some additional facts revealed by the study included:
Separated and divorced fathers had a higher level of involvement than nonresident fathers
Father involvement was found to decrease over time
Fathers with education including high school or bachelor’s degree were found to be more involved
For a complete copy of the white paper, “Fathering Strong – The Real Epidemic Today” click here.
To learn more about the new Fathering Strong online community click here.
Interested in a 7-day devotional focused on becoming a better father? Go to the new YouVersion bible study authored by Eli Williams. Click here to go to the devotional.
Eli Williams, the author of the book, “Father Love – The Powerful Resource that Every Child Needs,” defines what it means to be a loving father and the protector, order keeper, provider, and stabilizer the family and community needs to remain strong and vibrant. In the book he ties together the important aspects of not only working to become a better father but also making the commitment to be a loving and faithful servant to God. Becoming a stronger father means becoming committed to the word of God. It is the belief that giving your life to Christ is the way to becoming a more loving and stronger father.
The last verse in the Old Testament of the Bible that was written before Christ came to this earth is in Malachi 4:6 – “And we will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.” A clear statement of the impact a father plays in the role of his children and the stability of society.
Causes of father absence is a complex phenomenon produced by many circumstances and situations. Some are related to choices people make about fertility, marriage, and cohabitation. But others are the results of unexpected events, illnesses, or incarceration. It is very likely that fatherlessness has different meanings and implications for those of differing social classes. A father is called to be the leader and protector of the household. This may be foreign to most fathers who choose to be absent in their child’s lives. This paper supports the impact statement of the mission for Fathering Strong, a network and community established to build up fathers and support their needs to become stronger and more committed leaders of the families and followers of Jesus Christ.
For a complete copy of the white paper, “Fathering Strong – The Real Epidemic Today” click here.
To learn more about the new Fathering Strong online community click here.
Interested in a 7-day devotional focused on becoming a better father? Go to the new YouVersion bible study authored by Eli Williams. Click here to go to the devotional.
