More than 20 million children live in a home without the physical presence of a father. Millions more have dads who are physically present, but emotionally absent. If it were classified as a disease, fatherlessness would be an epidemic worthy of attention as a national emergency.
- Our Resource Center – with articles and videos on a wide variety of topics related to fatherhood.
- NCF’s weekly email – arrives each Friday to give you insights, encouragement, and some practical action points to help you engage your children.
- Fatherless Epidemic Infographic – Infographic full of statistics about the problems facing fatherless children. (The link opens the image in a new window. You may need to enlarge the image in your browser.)
The impact of fatherlessness can be seen in our homes, schools, hospitals and prisons, as reflected in the above clip from the documentary film, Irreplaceable. In short, fatherlessness is associated with almost every societal ill facing our country’s children.
How can you address the fatherlessness epidemic? Start in your own home with one or more of the following resources from NCF.
More Data on the Extent of Fatherlessness
- An estimated 24.7 million children (33%) live absent their biological father.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, “Living Arrangements of Children under 18 Years/1 and Marital Status of Parents by Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin/2 and Selected Characteristics of the Child for all Children 2010.” Table C3. Internet Release Date November, 2010. - Of students in grades 1 through 12, 39 percent (17.7 million) live in homes absent their biological fathers.
Source: Nord, Christine Winquist, and Jerry West. Fathers’ and Mothers’ Involvement in their Children’s Schools by Family Type and Resident Status. Table 1. (NCES 2001-032). Washington, DC: U.S. Dept of Education, National Center of Education Statistics, 2001. - 57.6% of black children, 31.2% of Hispanic children, and 20.7% of white children are living absent their biological fathers.
Source: Family Structure and Children’s Living Arrangements 2012. Current Population Report. U.S. Census Bureau July 1, 2012. - According to 72.2 % of the U.S. population, fatherlessness is the most significant family or social problem facing America.
Source: National Center for Fathering, Fathering in America Poll, January, 1999.
