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Fathering: The Relationship Between Fathers’ Residence, Fathers’ Sociodemographic Characteristics, and Father Involvement

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Abstract

Literature and research examining father involvement has focused primarily on outcomes associated with the well-being and development of children. The contextual factors associated with fathers, and how these factors shape fathers’ involvement with their young children, have received limited attention in this literature. Addressing this limitation, this study focuses on the relationship between fathers’ residential status, age, race and ethnicity, educational attainment, financial status and father involvement. Results of the regression models indicate that fathers who reside with their children and fathers who are older are more involved with their children. Given these findings, policymakers, practitioners, and researchers have an opportunity to create and enhance policies and programs that may assist and support fathers in their development as parents and their involvement with their children.

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Acknowledgments

The Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study was supported by Grant Number R01HD36916 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The contents of the paper are solely the responsibility of the author and do not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Social Work, University of Utah, 395 South 1500 East, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA

    Jason Castillo & Christian Sarver

  2. University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools, Lincoln, NE, USA

    Greg Welch

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  1. Jason Castillo
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Correspondence to Jason Castillo.

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Castillo, J., Welch, G. & Sarver, C. Fathering: The Relationship Between Fathers’ Residence, Fathers’ Sociodemographic Characteristics, and Father Involvement. Matern Child Health J 15, 1342–1349 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-010-0684-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-010-0684-6

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