Folks who grew up in the ‘70s probably remember the television show “The Six Million Dollar Man” starring Lee Majors. Now we have the One Hundred Billion Dollar Man, but this man doesn’t have a specific name or face to put next to this description because he represents every absent father in America.

Consider these statistics:

• The number of children living in single-mother families went from eight percent to 23.3 percent between 1960 and 2006.
• In 2003, 39.3 percent of single-mother families lived in poverty, but only 8.8 percent of father-present families lived in poverty.
• In 2006 the Federal Government spent at least 99.8 billion dollars providing assistance to father-absent families.

“The One Hundred Billion Dollar Man: The Annual Public Costs of Father Absence is the first study of its kind to measure the annual federal expenditures to support father-absent homes,” said Roland Warren, President of National Fatherhood Initiative. “We have a serious and growing problem. One in three children lives in father-absent homes (25 million children). Nearly two of three African American children live in homes without their biological father. This is up 300 percent since 1960.”

According to Mr. Warren, the study is a conservative estimate of the cost of father absence. Child-support enforcement and 13 means-tested benefit programs were measured, including income support, nutrition, health, social services and housing. However, the study did not examine the expenditures on programs dealing with the consequences of father absence such
as increased use of mental and physical health services and the criminal justice system.

Studies show that in the course of almost 50 years many of the foundational patterns of children’s living arrangements have been altered. Those changes include growing impermanence for children, fewer caring adults in their lives, greater chances of growing up in poverty and weaker intergenerational connections. Research indicates that half of all children and 80 percent of African American children can expect to spend at least part of their childhood living apart from their fathers.

“While the estimated cost of father absence in this report is high, it is only a fraction of the total cost to the government and an even smaller fraction of the total cost to society,” said Mr. Warren. “It is clear that the direct and indirect costs of father absence are enormous. Over time the negative effects on child development may cause children from fatherless families to incur costs as adults. Research consistently shows that children from fatherless families earn less as adults than children from two-parent families, are more likely to be poor and use government services. They are also more likely to be incarcerated.”

Whether you are a nonresidential father or a father who never married the mother of your children, here are some things for you to consider:

• Avoid the temptation to abandon your children.
• Know that you are not alone – join a healthy network of dads to help you to make it through the challenging times.
• Avoid the temptation to be a “Disney Dad.” Life isn’t always fun or fair.
• Understand (learn about) the long term effects of divorce on children.
• Recognize that scheduling visitation with your children may be very frustrating, but it does not compare with the frustration the children are experiencing.
• Acknowledge that on the surface things may appear discouraging, but it is important to keep focused on the bigger picture – the emotional development of your children.
• Know that although children are often unwilling or unable to articulate their feelings there is usually a lot more going on inside than you realize.

“As someone who grew up in a home without my father, for all you dads that are in the home, understand that your marriage is about a whole lot more than just your relationship with your wife and your happiness,” said Mr. Warren. “It is about the wellbeing of your children. Fatherhood definitely presents unique challenges, but the benefits of being present in the lives of your children are worth all the effort.”

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