House Resolution Highlights Fatherhood - Women's Congressional Policy Institute

On June 12, the House approved, 420-0, a resolution (H. Res. 474) commending fathers who are caring parents and calling on fathers across the United States to use Father’s Day to rededicate themselves to their children.

Sponsored by Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-NC), the resolution makes a number of findings, including:

children with involved fathers are more likely to do well in school, have a better sense of well-being, and have fewer behavioral problems;
supportive fathers promote the positive physical, social, emotional, and mental development of children;
promoting responsible fatherhood can help increase the chances that children will grow up with two caring parents;
when fathers are actively involved in the upbringing of children, the children demonstrate greater self-control and a greater ability to take initiative;
responsible fatherhood can help reduce child poverty; and
responsible fatherhood strengthens families and communities.
Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL) stated, “Just over 41 percent of fatherless families with children are poor, while only seven percent of children headed by a married couple are considered poor…Our work today and our work in Congress should not only focus on acknowledging fatherhood, but it should focus on empowering fathers to have the capabilities and incentives to be more responsible for their children. Barriers to employment, such as lack of a high school or college degree, as well as criminal histories and substance abuse, all contribute to the lack of fathers in the household and the lack of a regular source of income and the ability to contribute to the family.”

Rep. David Davis (R-TN) said, “William Shakespeare wrote, ‘It is a wise father that knows his own child.’ The truism of these words is exceedingly relevant today. The presence of two committed, involved parents contributes directly to better academic performance, reduced substance abuse, less crime and delinquency, fewer emotional and other behavioral problems, less risk of abuse and neglect, and lower risk of teen suicide. The research is clear: Fathers factor significantly in the lives of their children. There is simply no substitute for the love, involvement, and commitment of a responsible father.”