A father’s role in the home is crucial to the family’s well-being, and without his leadership, the family suffers. Without the leadership of fathers, society suffers too. As MFI’s Fatherlessness Report shows, children from single-parent homes, many without fathers, are at a greater risk of academic underachievement, youthful idleness, teen parenthood, and adult criminality. In Massachusetts, the poverty rate for fatherless families is more than seven times higher than the poverty rate for children who are living in married two-parent families.
“Six decades of social science have established that the most efficient way to increase dysfunction is to increase fatherlessness. And this the United States has done, for two generations now. Almost one in four children today grows up without a father in the home.”
Mary Eberstadt, (2020, Dec. 1). The Fury of the Fatherless. First Things. Web.
Fathers provide stability and guidance and serve as role models, imparting values, discipline, and a sense of responsibility. Their involvement in their children’s lives promotes emotional security, academic success, and healthy social development.
This Father’s Day, MFI honors fathers and the sacrifices and contributions they make to strengthen families and communities in the Commonwealth. Read our Fatherlessness Report to learn more about why fathers are so critical to positive outcomes for children and a healthy functioning society.
