How do you teach a kid to be a dad?

Maeve E. Gearing
December 21, 2015

“I have a couple where the father is 15 years old and comes on a skateboard to the home visit.”

About 9 percent (900,000) of American men become fathers before their twentieth birthday. Many of these young fathers grew up in disadvantaged homes, often without fathers in their own lives. And the challenges to becoming a dad at such a young age are many.

Teen fathers have less education and lower earnings than men who delay childbearing. Some young dads, particularly low-income dads, respond to these challenges by withdrawing from their new families. But fathers are crucial to the wellbeing of their children. Research has shown that children with engaged fathers have better cognitive development, exhibit fewer behavioral problems, and do better in school. In other words, having an involved dad helps put children on the right track. How can we get and keep teen dads engaged?

The voices of Urban Institute’s researchers and staff… read the full article here