A Fatherless Nation Cannot Prosper

This Father’s Day, we should do more than hand out neckties and grill steaks. We should confront the truth: America leads the developed world in a heartbreaking and preventable trend — the collapse of fatherhood in the home.

According to a Pew Research Center study of 130 countries, nearly one in four children in the United States grows up in homes without a father or any other adult present. That is more than three times the global average. And the cost to our society is staggering.

America is the wealthiest and most powerful country in the world, but when it comes to our children, we are falling short in the most fundamental way. 

Children who grow up without a father are more likely to live in poverty, drop out of school, engage in crime, and struggle with emotional and behavioral issues. This is not a theory. These outcomes are well-documented across decades of research.

The cancer that is this crisis has been fostered for years as society has normalized the lack of a father’s involvement, especially in the black community. It is about a breakdown in our culture, a turning away from the values that once anchored families. We have abandoned the idea that fathers matter.

Government policies in the 1960s, while intended to provide support, ended up disincentivizing marriage and promoting dependence on the state. Nowhere has this been more destructive than in minority communities. In 1965, nearly 80% of Black children were raised in two-parent homes. Today, more than 70% grow up without their fathers.

At TakeCharge, we reject the idea that these outcomes are the inevitable result of systemic racism. Often, they are the result of choices — choices made by all levels of our American society that have chipped away at the foundational role of fathers.

Single mothers are not to blame. Many are doing incredible work under difficult circumstances. But a child should not have to rely on one parent when two are meant to be present. Fathers are not optional. They are essential.

gradyreese. Getty Images.

The path forward begins with rebuilding what we have lost. We need to revive a culture that respects marriage, celebrates fatherhood, and teaches boys to become responsible men. The foundation of any strong society is strong families.

We must also return to the values that once made our communities thrive: faith, family, education, and personal responsibility. TakeCharge is committed to restoring these values. Through advocacy, education, and direct community engagement, we help families reclaim their identity and purpose.

This issue is not limited to any one group. Fatherlessness affects all races and income levels. But the consequences are particularly severe in low-income and minority communities, where the absence of fathers contributes to cycles of poverty and dysfunction.

That is why we support solutions rooted in personal responsibility, not dependency. We promote school choice, academic excellence, and the power of free enterprise. We believe the promise of America still works — but only when the family is restored.

This Father’s Day, we ask you to do more than say “thank you” to the fathers in your life. We ask you to join a movement to rebuild fatherhood in America. Encourage young men to see fatherhood as a gift and a calling. Support policies that promote marriage and family stability. Mentor a boy who needs a man to look up to. Advocate for cultural change that uplifts the role of dads.

Until we address the fatherhood crisis in America, no program or policy will be enough to fix what is broken.

Our families depend on fathers who show up, stand firm, and lead with love and responsibility. Let’s make this Father’s Day a turning point.

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Kendall Qualls is the founder and President of TakeCharge, a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring Black Americans to take charge of their lives by embracing the core principles of faith, family, education, and free enterprise.

The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.