Having a legal father can also be a protective factor when the father emotionally and financially supports the child. Hand out Paternity Benefit Slips to different students in the class. Ask them to place the benefits under the child, the mother, or the father column on the board. These benefits assume the parents are not married at the time of the birth. Establishing paternity has many benefits for the child, mother, and father.
Paternity is only one of the key elements of responsible fathering.