Involving Non-Resident Fathers In Children's Learning

Chapter 1:
Why Fathers Matter

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Rene Sterling

What can boost children’s school performance, stop behavior problems, increase parent volunteerism, and put a smile on a child’s face?

Answer: A father.

Research Confirms the Importance of Father Involvement

Teachers and family caregivers have long recognized that children’s educational success depends on the active involvement of both fathers and mothers. The dramatic rise over the past thirty years in the number of children growing up in fatherhless homes poses a special challenge for educators. By age 18, it is estimated that more than half of the children in the United States will spend part of their childhood in a single-parent home (Cherlin, 1992), usually away from their father (Nord, Brimhall, & West, 1997). For a variety of reasons, contact with the non-custodial father may lessen over time or become non-existent (Furstenberg, et al; Furstenberg & Nord; Seltzer & Bianchi as cited in Nord & Zill, 1996b, p, A-10), leaving children without one of their most important resources for future success — their fathers.

Research confirms the importance of father involvement

Children do better when fathers are actively involved

Children without active and involved fathers are more likely to drop out of school, join gangs, become sexually active, use drugs and alcohol, commit crimes, and have lower earnings as adults (Korem, 1994; McLanahan & Booth, 1989, pp. 557-580). In contrast, greater involvement by fathers in school activities is associated with fewer behavior problems, greater sociability, and better school performance by children and adolescents (Nord, Brimhall, & West, 1997). Moreover, these findings hold true for fathers who live apart from their children. Children whose non-resident fathers are involved in school are more likely to receive mostly A’s, say they enjoy school, and participate in extracurricular activities (Nord et al., pp. x-xi). Non-resident fathers who pay child support are more likely to be highly involved in their children’s schools than those who make no child support payments (Nord et al., p. 67).

Child support from fathers improves children’s educational achievement

Researchers are finding that regular child support is linked to more years of school attendance, better grades, and reductions in behavior problems. Among children in mother-only families eligible for child support, studies show that children who receive support from the father obtain significantly more schooling than those who do not receive support (Graham, Beller, & Hernandez, 1994, p. 343; Knox & Bane, 1994, p. 307). Specifically, they are less likely to fall behind or drop out of high school and are more likely to have entered college (Graham et al., p. 329). Furthermore, greater amounts of child support are associated with higher grades and fewer school problems (McLanahan, Seltzer, Hanson, & Thomson, 1994, p. 249).

In addition, studies suggest that the fathers’ contribution to income in the form of child support has benefits beyond just the extra income (Graham et al., 1994, p. 343; Knox & Bane, 1994, p. 307; McLanahan et al., 1994, pp. 249-250). Tamis-LeMonda and Cabrera (1999) report that, “An analysis of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-Child (NLSY-C) found that receipt of child support related positively to cognitive test scores, perceived scholastic competence, reading and math scores on standardized tests, and behavior measures, over and above its contribution to income; these effects vary, however, by race and reason for the father’s access (Argys et al., 1998; King, 1994)” (p. 8). The reasons for these benefits remain unclear. Possible explanations are that the additional income from child support helps provide food, shelter, and other necessities; the mother-father relationship is more cooperative, resulting in less tension or more money spent on the children; or the children feel their father cares (Knox & Bane, p. 308; McClanahan et al., p. 250).

Supportive fathers enhance the social development of children with special needs

One study focusing on child socialization for special education children living in urban neighborhoods found that children with high father involvement had fewer social problems, felt less helpless regarding their disability, possessed a stronger sense of competence, and were more attentive (Guidubaldi, Jenkins, & Perry, 1995). This group of children also displayed more cooperative behavior, broke fewer rules at home, and had fewer physical complaints. In addition, the study reported that children who received frequent discipline and emotional support from their dads had fewer social problems, more favorable scores on competence orientations, and were less physically aggressive with peers. Finally, the study found that heart-to-heart conversations with fathers produced more self-confidence in the children.

Additional research would improve understanding of non-resident fathers

More research is needed to fully understand the contributions of non-resident fathers to their children. Frequency of contact between the non-resident father and his children has been the most commonly studied relationship. Even more important, however, may be the quality of the interaction and the strength of the emotional ties between father and child.