Fathers Count
Fathers matter for families because they play an essential role in child development and family economic success.
Now we know children need fathers to thrive. But two decades ago, fathers were slipping off the radar and out of kids’ lives. In the face of the foregoing, the Casey Foundation set out to provide leadership in an effort to change the policy environment and improve child outcomes through better fathering. The Foundation sought to help promote large-scale programs and policy commitments that could change the attitudes and behaviors of young men. Those efforts, theories, challenges and social-shift accomplishments are presented in this report.
While support from other philanthropic organizations came and went, the Annie E. Casey Foundation steadfastly held this movement together. A notable area of strength for the Foundation, the Responsible Fatherhood work is a classic case example of what a foundation can achieve by focusing on what it does best. As the leading and longest-standing philanthropic funder of Responsible Fatherhood work, the Foundation remains a valued thought and practice leader in the field.