THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, April 24, 1995 TAG: 9504240063
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: THE WASHINGTON POST
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium: 62 lines
The proportion of American children growing up in homes without a father has quadrupled since 1950, leaving millions of children in neighborhoods where most families are headed by women, the Annie E. Casey Foundation reported today.
The foundation reported that in 1994, 19 million, or 24 percent, of children were living in families without fathers present. In 1950, 6 percent of children were living in mother-only households.
``This is a dramatic demographic trend that has significant impact on the lives of these children,'' said Douglas Nelson, executive director of the foundation. Not only are children in families without fathers present much more likely to be poor, he said, but ``the time, the emotional support provided by a second parent seems to also contribute to self-esteem, security and aspiration in children.''
The report said children who grow up without fathers are five times more likely to be poor, twice as likely to drop out of high school and much more likely to end up in foster care or juvenile justice facilities. Girls who are raised in single-parent families are three times more likely to become unwed teen mothers, and boys without fathers at home are much more likely to become incarcerated, unemployed and uninvolved with their own children when they become fathers.
The current debate in Congress about revamping the nation's welfare system has focused too much on creating incentives and sanctions for poor mothers and too little on the role of fathers, Nelson said. He called for social workers and agencies, as well as policy makers, to include fathers in their efforts to improve the lives of children.
The report also urges improved educational opportunities, citing the deterioration in economic circumstances of young men as an important cause of fatherless families.
Real wages for young men have fallen rapidly, especially for those who have not attended college, making it more difficult for many men to support a family. Since 1972, the report said, median income of men 25 to 34 has fallen 26 percent after adjustment for inflation. For black men who did not finish high school, earnings fell by 50 percent between 1973 and 1989.
``Almost no one volunteers for roles and duties they cannot fulfill,'' the report said. ``And the simple truth is that disadvantaged young men who do not have the examples, education or opportunity to succeed in today's economy are not prepared to contribute as providers, protectors and mentors to their children.''
Economic conditions as a cause of fatherless families have been downplayed by many conservatives, who argue instead that the problem stems largely from cultural decline and disintegrating moral values.
The Casey Foundation report does not dismiss the role of changing culture, but it emphasizes the link between the inability of many young men to earn a living wage and their absence from the family.
KEYWORDS: SURVEY POLL INCOME FATHERLESS SINGLE PARENT HOME
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