Fatherhood
Challenge:
“Roughly 2/3 of Blacks and 1/3 of Hispanic children live with only one parent….Blacks and Hispanics raised by single moms are 75 percent and 96 percent respectively more likely to drop out of school.”
Opportunity:
Children with involved fathers are more likely to succeed. We must do all we can to encourage fathers to ‘go home’ and actively participate in their children’s lives.
CH4K Action:
- Contribute to and support legislation that makes it easier for biological fathers to take part in their children’s lives
- Leverage social media as a way to encourage biological fathers to ‘go home’ – share success stories and tips
- Establish support groups for fathers who have abandoned their children
- Create programming and support to encourage single mothers to be supportive of biological fathers spending time with their biological children
Sources:
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My Brother’s Keeper Task Force Report to the President – May, 2014
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Herrera, Carla, David L. DuBois and Jean Baldwin Grossman. 2013. The Role of Risk: Mentoring Experiences and Outcomes for Youth with Varying Risk Profiles, Executive Summary. New York, NY: A Public/Private Ventures project distributed by MDRC.
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United States Department of Commerce Report – Economics and Statistics Administration
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A new YouTube video, entitled “This is Your Son”, shows the distressing reality of boys growing up without fathers. The video, which was produced by Ralph Harper and SteppedUp.com, hopes to spread the message about fatherhood and encourage fathers to remain involved in their children’s lives.