Resident Father-Child Involvement: Associations with Young Children's Social Development and Kindergarten Readiness in the ECLS-B.

The current investigation examined continuity from 9-months to 4-years of age in father-child interaction in instrumental child care activities, as well as enrichment and play activities, using data collected from 8,450 children with residential fathers included in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B). Additionally, social and pre-academic outcomes at age four were examined as potential correlates of father-child interaction. Because these variables may interact differently for boys and girls, associations were examined separately for each sex. Results indicate considerable stability in father involvement in both instrumental and enrichment/play activities with both boys and girls from 9-months to 2-years to 4-years, and that residential fathers may have meaningful impact on young children's competence with peers. These findings may help to better understand the role that father-child involvement plays in children's development. Contains 3 tables. (Author abstract)