Communities of faith and community organizations could emphasize the importance of fathers by organizing a Fathers Retreat for fathers to talk about their experiences and support each other. Review textbooks for their emphasis on fathering and marriage. School officials could work with counselors, social workers, and PTA's to form a support network for fathers with special challenges, such as single fathers or fathers who are still in high school. Any public call for community renewal must emphasize the role of fathers. The family and local communities are the most basic institutions needed to turn around the state of childhood in America.
Research shows that employees with healthy home lives are more productive workers.
Businesses would benefit from family-friendly policies that would enable fathers and mothers to better balance work and family life. Provide childbirth education courses that are father inclusive and offer substantial content on fathers contributions to healthy child development. Relevant state institutions should regularly collect data concerning father absence as it relates to their area of responsibility. Surveys concerning absent fathers when tracking child and adolescent academic performance, crime, drug and alcohol abuse, physical, child health and infant mortality, and poverty. Also, review statutes, policies, and procedures to remove practices that inadvertently limit father involvement.