A New Study Emphasizes the Important Role Fathers have on the Educational Outcomes of Their Children

fathers study educational outcomes

Fathers Involvement With Their Children Has A Positive Effect on Educational Outcomes Says Recent UK Study

fathers study educational outcomesIt goes without saying that parental involvement is crucial for a child’s development as well as their educational growth. A recent study conducted by the University of Leeds in the UK, finds that fathers have “a unique and important effect” on their children’s educational outcomes. The study collected data in a survey of about 5,000 families in the United Kingdom that included both a mother and father. The study was linked to the participants in the study from their early year profile at age 5 and then to the national pupil database at age 7. Click here to read the study.

The study found that when fathers engage in structured interactions such as singing, reading, playing, and drawing with their children before they attend school, it gives an educational advantage to them in their first year of elementary school. The report found that this trend continues as they progress through school. If there is greater involvement at the age of 5 it increases the child’s academic progress at the age of 7. The study found that father’s involvement had a positive effect on … Read More... “A New Study Emphasizes the Important Role Fathers have on the Educational Outcomes of Their Children”

Blast From The Past: Fathers are Indeed Important!

Blast from the past 13 years Ohio Family Law Blog

PUBLISHER’S UPDATE – Blog Originally Published on January 16, 2010: It is time for another “BLAST FROM THE PAST!” After Court recently, my client thanked me and reminded me about writing this Blog about his case seven and a half years ago. I was once again representing this father in the same rural Ohio Juvenile Court. The child is now 13+ and about to start the 8th grade but really wanted to move out of Ohio to live primarily with Dad and his family and attend school in North Carolina.  Dad’s perseverance once again paid off!  After a very strong guardians report, the parties agreed to a 1 year trial period for their child to move to the Tar Heel State.  This child is indeed blessed to have 2 excellent, loving, and caring parents willing to try to do what is in the child’s best interest! Good parenting by Dad and all his love and his fortitude did once again pay off!

fathers importantA large body of research overwhelmingly suggests children do best when they have both a mother and a father involved in their lives. Specifically, children whose fathers participate in raising them do better in school, are less likely … Read More... “Blast From The Past: Fathers are Indeed Important!”

Fathers: 5 Ways American Fatherhood is Changing

Pew Research Statistical Findings Show Fathers Taking Active Role In Home Life

fathers childrenKim Parker, Director of Social Trends Research at Pew Research Center, published a very interesting article on June 15, 2015, in their “Fact Tank” about the changing role of fatherhood in today’s society. Some of the statistical findings were surprising in my mind.

“Today, fathers who live with their children are taking a more active role  in caring for them and helping out around the house. And the ranks of stay-at-home fathers  and single fathers have grown significantly in recent decades. At the same time, more and more children are growing up without a father in the home ”, Parker said.

Here are 5 of the findings she made from reviewing the Pew Research Center reports:

  1. Fewer dads are their family’s sole breadwinner. Among married couples with children under age 18, dual-income households are now the dominant arrangement (60%). In 1960, only one-in-four of these households had two incomes; 70% had a father who worked and a mother who was at home with the kids.
  2. Roles of dads and moms are converging. In 1965, father’s time was heavily concentrated in their employment duties, while mothers
… Read More... “Fathers: 5 Ways American Fatherhood is Changing”

Child Study: Fathers In-Kind Support For Child

Recent Child Support Study Shows That We May Be Overlooking the In-Kind Support Low-Income, Non-Custodial Fathers Actually Provide

child in-kind support fathersIn a recent article published in The Journal of Marriage and Family, a study of the child support provided by approximately 400 low-income, non-residential fathers suggests that “in-kind” support, that is, support in the form of something other than money, is not typically considered even though it constitutes about one quarter of the total support given. Click here to read the in-kind support study,

Most courts only acknowledge formal or informal support provided (i.e. money paid either directly or indirectly to the mother). The authors of this study argue that many of these low-income fathers provide gifts, food, everyday essentials and services, yet are still labeled “dead-beat dads” because their in-kind support goes unseen by the child support system. As a result, the authors argue that policymakers cannot cure the issues within the system until they have an accurate picture of the situation.

Therefore, the study set out to determine how much in-kind support is being given by these fathers and what their motivation behind giving it is.  In their research, the authors interviewed roughly 400 low-income fathers of different races from … Read More... “Child Study: Fathers In-Kind Support For Child”