| It's no picnic for moms raising children in a home | | | | Canada 7.4 50.2 |
| without a father, without the emotional or financial | | | | Australia 7.7 56.2 |
| support. Seems like a big ol' 'Doh'! | | | | United States 11.1 59.5 |
| But sometimes, our little minds just can't grasp the | | | | ********* |
| reality of a tragic situation -- and believe me, this is | | | | On June 16, 1995 President Clinton requested every |
| tragic. Even in America, the richest nation on earth, | | | | agency of the Federal government to review its |
| mothers without fathers in the home suffer the | | | | programs and policies with the purpose of |
| most -- far more than you ever thought. | | | | strengthening the role of fathers in families. |
| Father's historical role in the family has been | | | | His heart was in the right place, but unfortunately, like |
| breadwinner. When he goes, so does the financial | | | | most government initiatives, it lost momentum. |
| stability of the family in most cases. Immediately, the | | | | Fathering: The Man and The Family is the Department |
| children of solo mothers (or children whose fathers | | | | of Health and Human Services (DHHS) response to |
| are absent from the home where the mother is | | | | this directive. |
| responsible for raising them) are plunged into poverty. | | | | Their guiding principles are: |
| Research conducted in 1990 throughout all | | | | * All fathers can be important contributors to the |
| industrialized nations proved that children in | | | | well-being of their children. |
| solo-mother families are at greater risk of poverty. In | | | | * Parents are partners in raising their children, even |
| places like Australia, Canada and the United States -- | | | | when they do not live in the same household. |
| the "more advanced nations" -- more than 50% of | | | | * The roles fathers play in families are diverse and |
| children in solo-mother families are living below the | | | | related to cultural and community norms. |
| 'Luxembourg Income Study poverty line'. | | | | * Men should receive the education and support |
| Other countries implement government policies that | | | | necessary to prepare them for the responsibility of |
| do not diminish the effects but alleviate them to a | | | | parenthood. |
| certain extent. Denmark, Finland, and Sweden also | | | | * Government can encourage and promote father |
| have a high percentage of children in solo-mother | | | | involvement through its programs and through its |
| families, yet fewer than 10% live below the poverty | | | | own workforce policies. |
| line. | | | | These guidelines are great. Recognition, education, |
| The following table represents the percentage of | | | | responsibility, encouragement and enforcement -- |
| children who are living below the poverty line, | | | | great concepts. But. . . |
| according to research conducted in 1990-1992. | | | | It lacked genuine teeth. If the government focused |
| ********* | | | | on the protection of the rights of fathers in addition |
| | | | to those of the mother, more children would be able |
| Percent of Children In Povertytwo parent family solo | | | | to benefit from the special relationship of 'two' |
| mother family | | | | parents who care for them and are actively involved |
| Sweden 2.2 5.2 | | | | in their lives, even when the two parents don't live |
| Denmark 2.5 7.3 | | | | together any longer. |
| Finland 1.9 7.5 | | | | And worse yet, radical father's rights groups have |
| Belgium 3.2 10.0 | | | | used the directive to ensure less paternal |
| Italy 9.5 13.9 | | | | responsibility instead of ensuring greater child benefits. |
| Norway 1.9 18.4 | | | | As always, the voiceless children lost. What are we |
| Netherlands 3.1 39.5 | | | | to do? |