I would like them to get where I never got to: Nonresident fathers' presence in the educational lives of their children

Father Involvement and Father–Child Relationship Quality: An Intergenerational Perspective

“…With increasing diversity in family structure and the prevalence of non-marital childbearing, it is increasingly common for fathers not to share a residence with their children and not to be married to their children’s mothers, creating relational elements unique to these families (Anderson et al, 1999; Combs-Orme & Renkert, 2009; Jethwani, Mincy, & Klempin, 2014; Rhein et al, 1997). Unmarried fathers, and particularly nonresident fathers, are faced with limitations derived from the additional time and financial constraints associated with having a child who resides in a different location (Anderson et al, 1999) or with a mother to whom they have a more tenuous romantic bond, with cohabiting fathers exhibiting lower involvement than married fathers (Landale & Oropesa, 2001.…”

“…Unmarried fathers, and particularly nonresident fathers, are faced with limitations derived from the additional time and financial constraints associated with having a child who resides in a different location (Anderson et al, 1999) or with a mother to whom they have a more tenuous romantic bond, with cohabiting fathers exhibiting lower involvement than married fathers (Landale & Oropesa, 2001. Additional costs can be significant as many unmarried and nonresident fathers are low-income/low-SES (Jethwani et al, 2014). Unmarried/nonresident fathers report resistance to their involvement from the coparenting mother, who often expect fathers to “buy” access to their children via contributions of formal or informal child support, and do not see the involvement of non-contributing fathers in other, non-financial ways, as desirable or beneficial for children.…”

“…Even apart from the financial constraints and limited access that often affect nonresident fathers, many men feel poorly equipped to build a meaningful, enriching relationship with their children (Jethwani et al, 2014, McBride & Rane, 1997). Many fathers report feeling that they do not know how to support a child in fundamental areas, such as education, for which they express self-blame (Jethwani et al, 2014). The child’s mother often reinforces these feelings of paternal inadequacy.…”

“…There is not a substantial amount of literature available on unmarried or nonresident fathers regarding their relationships with their children. Data are often produced from small convenience samples or mother reports of nonresidential father activities, which can be problematic, as such samples are by their nature nonrepresentative of the diversity of fathers and fathering behaviors, and mothers often are unaware of what nonresident fathers do with their children when mothers are not physically present (Combs-Orme & Renkert, 2009; Jethwani et al, 2014). There also is little to no research available on unmarried or nonresident fathers and their relationships, past or present, with their own fathers, much less how this relationship influences fathers’ current involvement with their own children.…”

“It shakes you for the rest of your life”: Low-income fathers’ understanding of domestic violence and its impact on children.

“…A growing body of research on low-income men and fatherhood contradicts these negative stereotypes. First, low-income fathers want and actively pursue substantive, positive involvement with their children (Edin & Nelson, 2013; Forste, Bartkowski, & Jackson, 2009; Jethwani, Mincy, & Klempin, 2014; Nelson, 2004; Zanoni et al, 2013). Second, the desire to be a good father is a powerful motivator for personal reflection and growth (Pennell et al, 2014; Real Families Real Strengths, 2011).…”