Low-income, nonresident father involvement with their toddlers: Variation by fathers' race and ethnicity.

Abstract

Using data from a racially and ethnically diverse sample of low-income mothers of two-year-old children participating in the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project (N = 883), fathers' education and employment, mother-father relationship, and mothers' relationships with kin in the household were examined to explain variation in nonresident father involvement across racial and ethnic groups. Nonresident White fathers were less involved with their children than African-American and Latino fathers. This difference was explained by the status of mother-father relationships. White nonresident fathers were less likely than minority nonresident fathers to maintain romantic relationships with their child's mother. Mothers in the White father group were also more likely to re-partner, which negatively related to biological fathers' involvement. These findings suggest that approaches to strengthen nonresident father involvement in children's lives need to consider how father ethnicity and mother-father relations are associated with differential patterns of father involvement.

African American, White and Latino Fathers’ Activities with their Sons and Daughters in Early Childhood

“…Non-resident fathers who participated in multiple waves of data collection were men who were very involved with their children. Moreover, the quality of the mother-father relationship may be more central to father involvement than residency per se (Cabrera et al 2008). Alternatively, non-resident fathers might have interpreted questions about their activities with their children as relative to the days spent with them (e.g., reporting to "always" play with their children, when with them).…”

Parenting Needs of Urban, African American Fathers

“…A solid body of evidence documents that children's health improves when fathers are involved in parenting. Specifically, fathers' positive involvement in parenting has been linked to improved cognitive skills and educational achievement (Rosenberg & Wilcox, 2006), fewer child behavioral problems, increased normative socialization (Cabrera & Mitchell, 2009;Rosenberg & Wilcox, 2006), and increased nurturing activities for children (Cabrera, Ryan, Mitchell, Shannon, & Tamis-LeMonda, 2008;Rosenberg & Wilcox, 2006). In contrast, children without paternal involvement are at increased risk for a range of adverse health and developmental outcomes including behavioral problems, decreased academic achievement, and substance abuse (National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse, 2013).…”

Linkages Between Children’s Behavior and Nonresident Father Involvement: A Comparison of African American, Anglo, and Latino Families

“…Carlson and Corcoran (2001) suggest that it is the quality of home environments that is linked to better child behavior more so than family structure, which suggests that nonresident fathers can play essential roles in child socialization despite the influence of children's resident family structure. The opportunity for African American and Latino nonresident fathers to participate in socialization processes influencing child behavior is higher than for Anglo nonresident fathers because Anglo nonresident fathers are less likely to maintain co-parenting, romantic relationships with their children's mothers than African American and Latino nonresident fathers (Cabrera et al 2008).…”