Funded by NICHD’s Demographic and Behavioral Sciences Branch, this project investigates the factors associated with men becoming unwed fathers and the nature and consequences of unmarried fathers’ involvement with children. This is an important topic, given the large and growing number of men who will have at least one child outside of marriage—and the large fraction of children and mothers who will be exposed to their fathering behavior. Yet, our knowledge about nonmarital fathering and how it affects partners, children, and the fathers themselves remains limited, in part because men are often under-represented in national surveys.
The study includes three specific aims:
- To evaluate the antecedents of nonmarital fatherhood and the effects of becoming an unwed father on the male life course
- To analyze the nature and dynamics of unwed fathers’ involvement in families as partners and parents, especially as linked to relationships with mothers, multi-partnered fertility, and paternal incarceration
- To examine the consequences of unmarried fathers’ involvement for the wellbeing of children and of fathers themselves, including whether the benefits are moderated by fathers’ characteristics or context
Using three national datasets (the National Survey of Family Growth, the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979, and the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study), this research will provide new information about the process, content, and consequences of nonmarital fathering for children and families and may shed light on the development of sound policies and programs to strengthen families.