Over the past several decades, increasing numbers of U.S. children have been growing up fatherless. Recent research indicates several obstacles that stand in the way of these fathers providing a supportive and nurturing environment for their children. This document reports on the findings of focus groups of low-income fathers in Austin, Columbus, Minneapolis, and Philadelphia where some of these obstacles were identified. (Author abstract)
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Journal Article The authors use an ecological framework and grounded theoretical analysis to explore the circumstances in which working-class and low-income custodial African American fathers gain custody of their children; their transition from part-time to full-time parents; and the role of support networks in enhancing or inhibiting these men's parenting. Twenty-four men from an impoverished Midwestern urban area participated in the study. The findings suggest that these men, and perhaps others sharing their demographic profiles, generally become parents by default and are often reluctant to take on a…
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Journal Article This study documents the opinions of twenty low-income fathers about their participation in a Responsible Fatherhood program in a large urban area. The program offered life skills training, job readiness and placement assistance, mental health counseling and other services to help fathers become involved in their children's lives and to comply with child support orders. Formal services were provided for six months, with opportunities for follow-up maintenance groups. The fathers who participated in the study were at various levels in the program, from entry to ongoing support. Four focus…
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Journal Article To investigate fathers' involvement with their children using an ecological model, multiple respondents, and a comprehensive definition of fathers' involvement. The study's primary objectives were: (a) to describe the characteristics of fathers whose infants are born to low-income, urban, African-American adolescent mothers; (b) to describe the ways in which fathers are involved with their children; and (c) to identify factors associated with fathers' involvement. (Author abstract)
In this paper, we review what is known about the life chances of children raised in single mother families and the extent to which these children are disadvantaged relative to their peers. Because we are concerned about life chances, most of the outcomes we consider are measured in adolescence and early adulthood. While there is good evidence that father absence has negative consequences for young children, our main concern is whether or not these disadvantages persist into adulthood. We begin the next section by showing the changes in children's family structure between 1960 and 2000. Next,…
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Journal Article Currently available data and concerns about the validity of reports by mothers significantly truncate the ability of researchers to address a myriad of research questions concerning the involvement of fathers in families. This study aimed to inform this concern by examining predictors of father involvement and father-mother discrepancies in reports of involvement within a low-income, predominantly minority sample of families with both resident and nonresident fathers (n= 228). Paired hierarchical linear models were used to control for the interrelation between pairs of reporters. The results…
This second Common Ground report grew out of a series of meetings that explored the economic issues around child support in greater depth: policies that would give more child support payments to children, rather than use them to reimburse public assistance and Medicaid costs; set child support awards in a fair and realistic way; modify awards to reflect changing circumstances; manage arrears; and increase family income. The diverse and public policy advocates, practitioners, and re-searchers who participated in the meetings are listed in the Appendix. (Author abstract).
The decline in marriage and its serious consequences for poverty and inequality are well documented. This paper concentrates on how marriage, cohabitation, single parenthood and the presence of biological parents affect the incomes and material hardships of children. The study uses data from the National Survey of America's Families to examine: 1) recent changes in the marital and household structure of families with children, 2) how levels of income and material hardship vary by family structure, and 3) whether marriage acts to reduce material hardship, even among families with low incomes…
Low-income fathers share many of the same characteristics as women on welfare--low literacy, poor employment history and low-wage employment. This fact sheet proposes ways in which policymakers can build services to help fathers. Suggestions include (but are not limited to): Develop networks of local providers to provide men with employment assistance; use state institutions to refer low-income fathers to local service providers; identify "nontraditional partners" like voluntarypaternity establishment programs, HealthyStart and Head Start--to connect fathers withneeded services; connect with…
In this brief we examine the relationship between increased child support enforcement and frequency of visitation between children and their nonresident fathers. Children who live apart from their fathers are at a greater risk of living in poverty, having low academic achievement, and exhibiting behavioral problems. Frequent contact between children and their nonresident fathers can protect children from some of the negative consequences of parental separation. Several recent studies have shown that more frequent contact with nonresident fathers is linked to children's greater emotional…
