Introduction

In my last blog post, I made a case for the need for a significant national campaign to strengthen the institution of fatherhood to benefit children, families, and communities. Such a movement would require collective action, shared beliefs and goals, organized effort, and social change. Such an endeavor would be challenging, but the need is dire – especially for minority communities. If not now, when? If not us, who?

What is a Movement?

A social movement is a large group organized to achieve a particular goal, typically a social or political objective. This may be to carry out a social change or to resist or undo one. It is a type of group action and may involve individuals, organizations, or both.  

Social movements are often spontaneous and loosely organized. They may be started by a small group of people passionate about an issue and may grow to include people from all walks of life. Social movements may use a variety of tactics to achieve their goals, including protests, demonstrations, boycotts, and lobbying.  

Social movements have been a significant force for social change throughout history. They have been responsible for such things as the abolition of slavery, the women’s suffrage movement, and the civil rights movement. Social movements remain essential to our society today and will likely play an even more substantial role.  

Here are some of the key characteristics of social movements:

• They are large and diverse. Social movements typically involve many people from different backgrounds and with different experiences.  
• They are organized. Social movements may have formal or informal structures, but they are typically organized in some way.  
• They are focused on a specific goal. Social movements are typically focused on achieving a specific social or political goal.  
• They use a variety of tactics. Social movements may use a variety of tactics to achieve their goals, including protests, demonstrations, boycotts, and lobbying.  
• They are often successful. Social movements have been responsible for many important social changes throughout history.  

Research assistance provided by Google Gemini.

The social movements mentioned above changed America for the better. Some other movements, not so much. Regarding fatherhood and family, the country has gone in a not-so-good direction for the last seven decades. Some movements have contributed to the breakdown of the traditional family, the increase in the failure of family formation, the rise of single-parent households, the father absence disaster, and the resultant children and youth issues so often lamented.  

What Has Been Tried

Some national and local fatherhood initiatives and programs seek to address the father absence crisis. Some of these are somewhat effective, but the national crisis persists. Many of those efforts are government-funded.

However, government funding can be unpredictable, with grants subject to political whims and budget cuts. This can make long-term planning difficult and create instability for social service programs. The application process for government grants can be complex and time-consuming, requiring significant staff time and resources. Grants often come with strings attached, limiting how funds can be used and requiring strict adherence to guidelines. This can reduce flexibility and responsiveness to changing community needs.

Social service agencies often compete fiercely for limited grant dollars, creating a competitive environment that can hinder collaboration and information sharing. Over-reliance on government grants can make agencies vulnerable to changes in funding priorities and create a disincentive to diversify funding sources. Agencies may feel pressured to align their programs with government funding priorities, potentially leading to mission drift and a focus on services that are not the most needed in the community.

Something Better is Required

Rather than doing the same things over and over while expecting different results, a national movement is needed to stop the slow unraveling of the fabric of society. As fathers and families go, so goes the community.

While local, state, and federal government is a part of the solution, the people and organizations closest to the problems are the keys to finally stemming the tide of societal decline.  

Beginning with a Vision

A fatherhood movement of the magnitude needed must begin with a unifying vision. I don’t have all the answers or a perfect plan for reducing fatherlessness and developing excellence in fathering on a society-wide scale. What I do have is a vision that I hope others catch. Hopefully, many will agree that a fatherhood movement is desperately needed for the sake of children and society, and together, we will develop a winning strategy. Without one, America will continue to suffer from the well-documented negative impacts of widespread father absence and fragile families. 

What I envision for America:

Vision: The Fathering Strong Movement

I envision that in 2035, father absence in the U.S. will have been reduced to one child in ten compared to the current one in four.[1] I also envision an increase in the number of fathers who prioritize the loving nurturance of their children in partnership with their children’s mothers. The result is a significant reduction in child and teen behavioral disorders, suicides, drug and alcohol addictions, juvenile detentions, academic failure, and child poverty. 

This is a monumental goal. Revolutionary. Culture changing. It can only be achieved with help from The Almighty and an all-hands-on-deck, highly organized, and unified effort.

Strategy

I see…

The development of an overarching strategic plan. When executed, it results in a critical mass of people and organizations joining forces in a unified effort to achieve the vision expressed above.

Tactics

I see…

• Social service agencies, nonprofits, and faith-based organizations coming out of their silos to form collaborations to engage fathers in their programs
• Fathers forming communities for mutual encouragement, mentoring, and leadership development
• Churches and other religious organizations leading the way in promoting traditional family formation, family strengthening, and premature parenthood prevention initiatives  
• Foundations, trusts, and other funders joining the movement by providing financial resources to sustain the effort
• Federal, state, and local governments, including the courts, adopting father-friendly policies
• Communities mobilizing to reduce father absence and to increase healthy fathering
• Communities establishing paid staff positions to lead the long-term effort 
• Traditional and digital media reinforcing the movement through positive messages (making traditional family formation “cool” again)
• Big corporations to small businesses joining the movement through father/family-friendly advertising and funding support
• More

Dreaming Big

Yes, this is a mammoth vision. That is appropriate when tackling the massive challenge of reducing father absence and strengthening committed fathers.

Having a big vision is about more than just setting goals. It’s about creating a compelling picture of the future that inspires you and others to achieve something extraordinary. It provides direction, motivation, and meaning for individuals and organizations. What is more inspiring than a better future for children and families?

The Fathering Strong® team already has some things in place to help make this vision a reality.

• The Fathering Strong® App for connecting people virtually
• The Fathering Strong® Podcast and Blog for mass communication
• Affiliation with a network of fatherhood practitioners
• Decades of experience in fatherhood programming
• Community mobilization experience

Catch the vision and be among the first to begin building The Fathering Strong Movement.

Instructions from the Holy Scriptures

… “Write the vision
And make it plain on tablets,
That he may run who reads it. …” – Habakkuk 2:2 NKJV

When the LORD gives a vision, He instructs the visionary to write it down in understandable terms. He is to share the vision so those who read it can understand and enthusiastically run with it.

About the Author

Eli Williams is a father, grandfather, and mentor of several men. He and his wife Judy have served in community outreach ministry since the late 1980s and founded Urban Light Ministries in 1995. Eli has been a professional fatherhood practitioner since 2006 and is an ordained Christian minister helping to pastor New Hope Church in Springfield, Ohio. Reverend Williams authored Father Love—The Powerful Resource Every Child Needs in 2016 and led ULM in the creation of Fathering Strong.

Join

We invite you to join the Fathering Strong Movement. To begin, explore FatheringStrong.com, and download the free app. Subscribe to the weekly Fathering Strong Podcast on YouTube. Your subscription enables us to provide services and resources, including our newsletter and blog at no cost.

Fathering Strong is powered by Urban Light Ministries, Inc., a not-for-profit organization founded in 1995 in Springfield, Ohio. Our mission is to turn the hearts of fathers to their children.  To learn more about Urban Light Ministries and to donate to our mission, go to www.urbanlight.org.

---

[1] https://americafirstpolicy.com/issues/issue-brief-fatherlessness-and-its-effects-on-american-society#:~:text=According%20to%20data%20from%202022,comprising%20about%201%20in%204&text=Across%20America%2C%202022%20data%20indicates,1%20in%204%20US%20children.