The importance of fathers in children's lives has received growing recognition in recent years. This emphasis has been prompted, in part, by the growing number of families without a father present. More than one million American babies, or 1 in 4, are born each year to unmarried mothers, most of whom are in households without fathers. At any given time, about 22 percent of all children under age 18 are living with only one parent. Along with the rise in single-parent households has come a persistent rise in child poverty.
Children can ill afford the absence of a wage-earning parent.
As such, the importance of fathers' economic contribution to the family has never been clearer. For most children, two parents are better than one for more than just economic reasons. Fathers bring a dimension to child rearing that complements and, under the best of circumstances, supports mothers' roles. With more mothers in the work force than ever before, many fathers are assuming a share of routine child care responsibilities. Most describe the experience as extremely rewarding.