National Fatherhood Initiative Research

National Fatherhood Initiative conducts research on fatherhood-related topics and on marriage. In addition, National Fatherhood Initiative also conducts evaluations on the effectiveness of its products and programs.

Mama Says: A National Survey of Mothers' Attitudes of Fathers and Fatherhood (NEW)

Mama Says is the first-ever comprehensive, national survey of mothers’ views about fathers and fatherhood. What did "Mama Say"?

93% of moms think there is a father absence crsis
Moms said that "work responsiblities" were the biggest obstacle to dad's success in fathering
Most moms think dad is replaceable

Click here to find out and download the study!

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The One Hundred Billion Dollar Man: The Annual Public Costs of Father Absence

The federal government spends $99.8 billion dollars every year on programs - such as child support enforcement and anti-poverty efforts - that support father-absent homes. Download Full Study (1.7 MB)

Media:

 Video highlights of NFI president Roland C. Warren on C-SPAN's Washington Journal
 Carlos Alcazar, NFI board member, on Univision (in Spanish)

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Facts on Fatherhood
View facts on Fatherhood relating to poverty, incarceration, crime, teen pregnancy, child abuse, drug and alcohol, education, and more. Click here for more information

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Father Facts, Fifth Edition
A 180-page compilation of the social science research on the consequences of father absence and the impact of father involvement on the well-being of children and society. Complete with charts, graphs, and, new to this edition, essays on fatherhood and culture.
Click here for more information

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Pop's Culture: A National Survey of Dads' Attitudes on Fathering
Findings from a national telephone survey of 701 American men selected to be representative of American fathers age 18 and older with at least one biological or adopted child (not a stepchild) under the age of 18. Released 12/6/06

Download Full Study (4.3 MB)

Read the press release and view the video highlights of the National Press Club release event, featuring Spike TV, Best Life magazine, Washington Post, and WAMU-FM here.

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With This Ring ... A National Survey on Marriage in America
Findings from a national telephone survey of 1,503 Americans age 18 and older conducted late in 2003 and early in 2004 that asked questions about attitudes toward marriage, aspirations for marriage, and past experiences with marriage. Released 11/17/05

Download Full Study (3 MB)
View Individual Reports from 25 Different States

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Center for Marriage and Families - Research Briefs
National Fatherhood Initiative and the Institute for American Values are producing a series of research briefs on various issues related to the causes and consequences of father absence for children.

Divorce, Dads, and the Well-Being of Children: Answering Common Research Questions (62 KB)
released July 2008

Is Religion an Answer?: Marriage, Fatherhood, and the Male Problematic (88 KB)
released June 2008

The Benefits of Marriage for African American Men (64 KB)
released April 2008

A Call for a New Revisionism: Scholarship on the Black Family Since the Moynihan Report (61 KB)
released March 2008

The Shift and the Denial: Scholarly Attitudes toward Family Change, 1977-2002 (86 KB)
released February 2008

Protectors or Perpetrators? Fathers, Mothers, and Child Abuse and Neglect (68 KB)
released January 2008

Responding to the Black Marriage Crisis. A New Vision for Change (75 KB)
released June 2007

Religion, Race, and Relationships in Urban America (132 KB)
released May 2007

Marriage and Mental Health in Adults and Children (66 KB)
released February 2007

The Other Marriage Penalty. A New Proposal to Eliminate Marriage Penalty for Low-Income Americans (83 KB)
released September 2006

Marriage and the Well-Being of African American Boys (68 KB)
released September 2006

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Family Structure, Father Closeness, and Drug Abuse

Full Study
Executive Summary
One-Page Summary
released 3/11/04

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Family Structure, Father Closeness, and Delinquency

Full Study
Executive Summary
One-Page Summary
released 3/11/04