IV

107TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. RES. 442

Supporting responsible fatherhood and encouraging greater involvement of

fathers in the lives of their children, especially on Father’s Day.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JUNE 12, 2002

Mr. SULLIVAN (for himself and Ms. CARSON of Indiana) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and

the Workforce

JUNE 12, 2002

Committee on Education and the Workforce discharged; considered and

agreed to

RESOLUTION

Supporting responsible fatherhood and encouraging greater

involvement of fathers in the lives of their children, especially on Father’s Day.

Whereas 40 percent of children who live in fatherless households in the United States have not seen their fathers in

at least 1 year, and 50 percent of such children have

never visited their fathers’ homes;

Whereas approximately 50 percent of all children born in the

United States spend at least half of their childhood in

families without father figures;
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•HRES 442 ATH

Whereas 3 out of 4 adolescents in the United States report

that they do not have adults in their lives that serve as

positive role models;

Whereas children who are apart from their biological fathers

are, in comparison to other children, 5 times more likely

to live in poverty, and more likely to bring weapons and

drugs into the classroom, commit other crimes, drop out

of school, commit suicide, abuse alcohol or drugs, and become pregnant as teenagers;

Whereas the Federal Government spends billions of dollars to

address these social ills and very little to promote responsible fatherhood;

Whereas the promotion of responsible fatherhood should

not—

(1) denigrate the standing or parenting efforts of

single mothers, whose efforts are heroic;

(2) lessen the protection of children from abusive

parents;

(3) cause women to remain in, or enter into, abusive

relationships; or

(4) compromise the health or safety of a custodial

parent;

Whereas children with fathers at home tend to do better in

school, to be less prone to depression, and to have more

successful relationships;

Whereas boys and girls alike demonstrate greater self-control

and ability to take initiative when fathers are actively involved in their upbringing;

Whereas promoting responsible fatherhood can help increase

the chances that children will grow up with two caring

parents;
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•HRES 442 ATH

Whereas a broad array of America’s leading family and childdevelopment experts agree that it is in the best interests

of children, and the Nation as a whole, to encourage

more two-parent, father-involved families;

Whereas in a study of fathers’ interaction with their children

in intact two-parent families, nearly 90 percent of the fathers surveyed said that being a father is the most fulfilling role a man can have;

Whereas according to a 1996 Gallup poll, 90.3 percent of

Americans agree that fathers make a unique contribution

to their children’s lives;

Whereas married fathers are more likely to have a close, enduring relationship with their children than unmarried

fathers;

Whereas the promotion of responsible fatherhood is a bipartisan issue; and

Whereas Father’s Day is the third Sunday in June: Now,

therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

2 (1) urges men to understand the level of re3 sponsibility fathering a child requires, especially in

4 the encouragement of the academic, moral, and spir5 itual development of children;

6 (2) recognizes the need to encourage active in7 volvement of fathers in the rearing and development

8 of their children;

9 (3) encourages each father to devote time, en10 ergy, and resources to his children, recognizing that
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•HRES 442 ATH

1 children need not only material support, but even

2 more importantly, a secure and nurturing family en3 vironment;

4 (4) commends the millions of fathers who serve

5 as wonderful, caring parents for their children, while

6 also recognizing that there are children who will

7 have no one with whom to celebrate on Father’s

8 Day;

9 (5) urges mothers to encourage fathers to play

10 an active role in child-rearing;

11 (6) calls on fathers across the Nation to use

12 Father’s Day to reconnect and rededicate themselves

13 to their children’s lives, to spend Father’s Day with

14 their children, and to express their love and support

15 for their children; and

16 (7) urges American institutions, and govern17 ment entities at every level, to promote public poli18 cies that encourage and support the efforts of, and

19 remove barriers to, responsible fatherhood.

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