Father Absence

 
 

Dad Walking Away

U.S.family Statistics

  • 7 out of 10 Black children are born to unmarried-never-married parents;

  • Children from father-absent homes are 5 times more likely to commit suicide, 32 more likely to run away, 20 times more likely to have behavioral disorders, 9 times more likely to drop out of school, 10 times more l likely to engage in substance abuse and 20 times more likely to end up in prison;

  • A 2019 Pew Research Center study of 130 countries and territories revealed that the U.S. has the world’s highest rate of children living in single-parent households.

Father and Daughter Brushing Teeth

Turning The Corner on Father Absence in Black America

The Morehouse Conference on African American Fathers was held at Morehouse College in Atlanta on November 4-6, 1998. Co-sponsored by the Morehouse Research Institute and the Institute for American Values and funded by the Ford Foundation. Sadly, many of the issues raised and discussed then are still prevalent today. The conference report offers key insights and a call to action to all stakeholders to re-unite fathers and their children and to strengthen families.

Honoring Dad in the Community

Fathers count Act (1999)

Dr. Jeffery M. Johnson, Founder and CEO of NPCL, was instrumental in the passage of this ground-breaking legislation. A C-SPAN video clip is provided here, for your information