Dads aren’t optional — and America’s kids are paying the brutal price
Nearly 1 in 4 children in the United States lives without a father in the home, a trend that is worsening across all racial and ethnic groups. The absence of fathers is linked to higher risks of violence, crime, and instability for children, according to research and social analysis. The author argues that the societal devaluation of fatherhood has created a national crisis with long-term consequences.
- ▪Nearly 1 in 4 children in the U.S. lives without a father in the home.
- ▪In 2023, 49% of Black children lived with one parent and 47.5% lived without a father.
- ▪Around 20% of White children and roughly a third of Hispanic children live in single-parent homes.
- ▪Children in never-married mother households face nearly three times the exposure to neighborhood violence compared to those in two-parent married homes.
- ▪Research from the Institute for Family Studies shows that kids in married two-parent homes are less likely to experience or witness violence.
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Opinion Dads aren’t optional — and America’s kids are paying the brutal price Nearly 1 in 4 children now lives without a father, and the trend is worsening across all demographics By Corey Brooks Fox News Published May 5, 2026 10:00am EDT Facebook Twitter Threads Flipboard Comments Print Email Add Fox News on Google close Video Rooftop Revelations: What Urban America needs most Pastor and Project H.O.O.D. founder Corey Brooks says the only way out of hopelessness is development grounded in American principles. NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! There is a lie that has been spreading throughout this country for the last several decades like poison: "You don’t need a father." This lie shows up in our music, our politics, our policies, and sometimes even in our churches.
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