Unity and teamwork can stop the wave of fatherlessness

By Kermit Rowe
​Encompass Relationship Facilitator

​To know how important a father is to a child, ask one who hasn’t had their dad in their life. Fatherlessness can truly be one of the most destructive challenges one can face in childhood.
According to a recent report by the American First Policy Institute, 2022 U.S. Census figures show that approximately 18.3 million American children live without a father in their home, which is about one of every four kids. What’s sadder is that the U.S. has the highest rate globally of children living in single-parent homes – 80% of which are headed by mothers. The latest census also reveals that fatherless families are four times more likely to raise children in poverty, while other research suggests that women head 84% of homeless families.

Predictably, this has a profoundly negative impact on the mental and behavioral health of American children. National Center for Fathers data suggests that children without fathers are 10 times more likely to abuse illegal drugs, and 71% of all children on the study who abuse substances come from fatherless homes. And a U.S. Department of Justice study found that 75% of adolescent patients in substance abuse centers were from fatherless homes. Springfield nonprofit Urban Light Ministries and co-founder Eli Williams have been addressing this problem since 2008.
“Among the things I have learned is that aside from the well-documented tragic consequences of fatherlessness for children, the poor outcomes extend to fathers themselves, and to communities at large,” he said. “Fathers may experience feelings of grief, loss, and sadness due to the absence of their children in their daily lives. That can lead to low self-esteem, feelings of inadequacy, a diminished sense of purpose, isolation, loneliness, depression, and anxiety.”
“All of that is not to mention the social, relational, and financial strains,” added Williams. “Simply put, fathers need their children.” And children obviously need their dads. The impact of an actively engaged father is critical. Children with an actively engaged dad do much better in school. They are 33% less likely to repeat a class and 43% more likely to get A’s in school. Data from the Motherhood Institute found that supportive dads provide a strong foundation for building self-esteem and confidence in their children and empower them to face challenges with resilience and assurance, giving them a stronger sense of self-worth.
“When attentive, nurturing fathers are engaged in the co-parenting of their children, I have seen how much more well-adjusted the children are than their peers who lack that,” said Williams. “Meaning they are generally happier, better behaved at school, more polite, and more stable mentally and emotionally.”

Indeed, all is not lost. But it’ll take a village to turn a tide that is quickly rising into a tsunami.
“Reducing fatherlessness, much like reducing poverty, requires an all-hands-on-deck strategy,” said Williams. “Because fatherlessness is ingrained in the culture of the country, a national movement that mobilizes every sector – religious, social services, legal, education, philanthropy, and all the others is required to change the culture.” That unity must exist among somewhat isolated but dedicated fathers, according to Williams. “One thing active fathers can do is join in community with other dads to encourage one another, and for peer mentoring.”

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