The First Father: Perspectives on the President's Fatherhood Initiative

Authors

Jessica Dixon Weaver, Southern Methodist University, Dedman School of LawFollow

Abstract

This short article presents an analysis of the thirteen-year-old President's Fatherhood Initiative utilized by the executive branch to tackle the problem of absent fathers in America. It argues that this social policy attempts to recapture the economic incentives central to the controversial Moynihan Report of 1965, emphasizing patriarchal and classist solutions to America's family crisis. The programs instituted by the Fatherhood Initiative stigmatize black and brown fathers and fail to address underlying government policy issues that impact their ability to be present and financially supportive in their children's lives. The programs still emphasize the marriage dyad as a cure-all rather than seeking to support the various family forms that exist today, calling into question whether the Fatherhood Initiative has contributed to the improvement of children's well-being.

Publication Title

Family Court Review

Document Type

Article

Keywords

fatherhood initiative, responsible fatherhood, marriage, child well-being, family, incarcerated parents, President, Moynihan Report, Obama, Clinton, Bush, child well-being

Recommended Citation

Jessica Dixon Weaver, The First Father: Perspectives on the President's Fatherhood Initiative, 50 Fam. Ct. Rev. 297 (2012)