Dads Evoking Change

few reasons we do the work

In the US, a mix of historical, racial and economic inequalities prevents many dads of color and other low income fathers from fulfilling their paternal roles. Some parents including fathers are unwilling to embrace their parental obligations. However, our social policies should not treat ALL low-income, or fathers of color as deadbeat dads, nor suggest this is the norm or adopt this belief as the default position that should be assumed with respect to dads.

Most policy discussions of fatherhood often focus on the question of child support, but our common policies and practices ignore equally important non-financial factors. For example, policies and practices marginalize the caregiving roles of non-custodial fathers roles by excluding them from key educational and health-related decisions about their children. These policies and practices reinforce the myth that black fathers are not present in their children’s lives when CDC data show that they desire the exact opposite.

Many studies have been done on the value of shared parenting and its positive effects on children, including emotional stability, academic success and significant reductions in drug use and juvenile delinquency. Although some situations do not make this outcome possible for all children based on factors outside of their control, shared parenting should be California's starting point for the vast majority of our children.