A Fatherhood Research Study by The Moynihan Institute for Fatherhood Research and Policy Reveals What Black Fathers Want and Need

During the State of Black Fathers in Fulton Forum on February 20, 2024, in Atlanta at Pittsburgh Yards, Fathers Incorporated (FI) and the Moynihan Institute for Fatherhood Research and Policy, two preeminent organizations created to support Black fathers and fatherhood, revealed key findings from their latest research report, "The Dynamics of Atlanta Black Dads: Unpacking the Myths and Realities of Non-Resident Fatherhood in Fulton County, Georgia. Although the research focuses on one major county in Georgia, many of the challenges are universal.

The report offers a deep dive into the local challenges and strengths of Black fatherhood. The study, which was comprised of one-on-one interviews and focus groups, reveals fathers often feel unsupported by community services that traditionally cater to mothers and children, encounter co-parenting challenges, and have fewer fathering role models, impacting their parental self-efficacy.

"Our study illuminates the need for support for fathers who are motivated to play an impactful role in their children's lives, along with helping them navigate their rights, co-parenting, and best practices to help them succeed," said Kenneth Braswell, founder and CEO, Fathers Incorporated and the Moynihan Institute for Fatherhood Research and Policy. "The insights stress the importance of engaging fathers through community events and providing meaningful services for them can actually leverage this moment of increasingly heightened paternal awareness. By doing so, as a society, we'll be able to forge a more supportive environment for fathers, enabling them to be the effective and influential parents they aspire to be."

The report highlights the misperception that the non-resident father is disinterested in his child or children and the support he needs and wants to be the type of father he desires to be. It exposes their challenges and their triumphs. It explores the systemic gaps in support from the viewpoint of the non-resident father (a father not living in the home with his child), amplifying his voice so he can be heard and not ignored or invisible.