fontman
06-18-06, 07:58 AM
Legislation would help those trying to do the right thing. And punish those who didn't.
On this Father's Day, as we celebrate the men who shaped our lives, we should also pause to remember the millions of American children living without a father, and the millions of American men who are not fulfilling their responsibility to be fathers.
Today, too many men seem to think that fatherhood ends at conception. These men, so many of them still so young, leave mothers to bear the brunt of being both mom and dad, forcing them to face the challenges of raising a child and providing for the family on their own.
These women often perform this role heroically, but the statistics tell us what so many of them already know - that children are better off when their father is also involved.
Children who grow up without a father are five times more likely to live in poverty and commit crime. They are nine times more likely to drop out of school, five times more likely to commit suicide, and 20 times more likely to end up in prison. They are more likely to have behavioral problems, to run away from home, and to become teenage parents themselves.
So the question is: What do we do as a nation to solve this problem? How do we make sure that these boys start acting like men?
First, we will need a change in attitude. We will need to realize that government can't legislate responsibility - that change can't come just from Washington. As fathers, we need to teach our boys that having a child doesn't make you a man - that what makes you a man is having the courage to raise a child.
But what government can do is to make it easier for those who make that courageous choice - and to make it harder for those who avoid it. The legislation we are introducing, called "The Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families Act," will provide support for fathers who are trying to do the right thing in making child-support payments by providing them with job training and job opportunities and expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit. It also stops penalizing marriage in the tax code, and makes sure that children and mothers, not the government, receive every penny of child support.
At the same time, it cracks down on men who are ignoring their parental responsibilities by increasing child-support enforcement to $4.9 billion over 10 years, a measure that will collect nearly $20 billion in payments that can help raise, nurture and educate children.
Past efforts demonstrate the promise of these ideas. Throughout the early 1990s in Indiana, a statewide effort to encourage responsible fatherhood gave men the skills required to find and keep a job. In 1996, Indiana hosted the largest-ever statewide conference on responsible fatherhood and later launched one of the first state chapters of the National Fatherhood Initiative. Nearly 10 years later, more than 20,000 men have become better dads through these community-wide efforts, providing children with the emotional support of a real father and a better shot in life.
In Illinois, innovative transitional employment programs have also proved that when unemployed fathers gain the skills and experience they need to get and keep jobs, the benefit for their children, their families and their communities is enormous.
The American family is the foundation of our society, and strengthening that foundation is in the best interest of all of us, regardless of race, gender, class or political party. It is not a subject you may see reported on the nightly news or argued about on the Senate floor, but it is critical to many Americans struggling to raise their families.
As fathers ourselves, we know the tremendous pressures facing American families today. But our nation's future is only as secure as our children are, and promoting fatherhood is essential in making sure that every child has the chance to thrive. As we think about our own fathers and grandfathers, let this day mark the beginning of a new commitment to fatherhood in America - a commitment that brings families together and makes men of boys.
Sen. Evan Bayh is a Democrat representing Indiana; Sen. Barack Obama is a Democrat representing Illinois
Contact Sen. Evan Bayh at http://www.senate.gov/~bayh. Contact Sen. Barack Obama at http://obama.senate.gov/
On this Father's Day, as we celebrate the men who shaped our lives, we should also pause to remember the millions of American children living without a father, and the millions of American men who are not fulfilling their responsibility to be fathers.
Today, too many men seem to think that fatherhood ends at conception. These men, so many of them still so young, leave mothers to bear the brunt of being both mom and dad, forcing them to face the challenges of raising a child and providing for the family on their own.
These women often perform this role heroically, but the statistics tell us what so many of them already know - that children are better off when their father is also involved.
Children who grow up without a father are five times more likely to live in poverty and commit crime. They are nine times more likely to drop out of school, five times more likely to commit suicide, and 20 times more likely to end up in prison. They are more likely to have behavioral problems, to run away from home, and to become teenage parents themselves.
So the question is: What do we do as a nation to solve this problem? How do we make sure that these boys start acting like men?
First, we will need a change in attitude. We will need to realize that government can't legislate responsibility - that change can't come just from Washington. As fathers, we need to teach our boys that having a child doesn't make you a man - that what makes you a man is having the courage to raise a child.
But what government can do is to make it easier for those who make that courageous choice - and to make it harder for those who avoid it. The legislation we are introducing, called "The Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families Act," will provide support for fathers who are trying to do the right thing in making child-support payments by providing them with job training and job opportunities and expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit. It also stops penalizing marriage in the tax code, and makes sure that children and mothers, not the government, receive every penny of child support.
At the same time, it cracks down on men who are ignoring their parental responsibilities by increasing child-support enforcement to $4.9 billion over 10 years, a measure that will collect nearly $20 billion in payments that can help raise, nurture and educate children.
Past efforts demonstrate the promise of these ideas. Throughout the early 1990s in Indiana, a statewide effort to encourage responsible fatherhood gave men the skills required to find and keep a job. In 1996, Indiana hosted the largest-ever statewide conference on responsible fatherhood and later launched one of the first state chapters of the National Fatherhood Initiative. Nearly 10 years later, more than 20,000 men have become better dads through these community-wide efforts, providing children with the emotional support of a real father and a better shot in life.
In Illinois, innovative transitional employment programs have also proved that when unemployed fathers gain the skills and experience they need to get and keep jobs, the benefit for their children, their families and their communities is enormous.
The American family is the foundation of our society, and strengthening that foundation is in the best interest of all of us, regardless of race, gender, class or political party. It is not a subject you may see reported on the nightly news or argued about on the Senate floor, but it is critical to many Americans struggling to raise their families.
As fathers ourselves, we know the tremendous pressures facing American families today. But our nation's future is only as secure as our children are, and promoting fatherhood is essential in making sure that every child has the chance to thrive. As we think about our own fathers and grandfathers, let this day mark the beginning of a new commitment to fatherhood in America - a commitment that brings families together and makes men of boys.
Sen. Evan Bayh is a Democrat representing Indiana; Sen. Barack Obama is a Democrat representing Illinois
Contact Sen. Evan Bayh at http://www.senate.gov/~bayh. Contact Sen. Barack Obama at http://obama.senate.gov/