City Initiative to Make Absent Dads Better Parents

Nearly $3 million will be spent to expand the Fatherhood Initiative program.
 

Far too many kids are being raised without the steady presence of a father in their day-to-day lives. In fact, one out of three New York City kids are growing up in a home without dad around.

According to the Department of Youth and Community Development, this no-father-present dynamic can lead to poor school performance, poverty, and the chance for risky behaviors as the child develops. That is why the department is proposing an expansion of their Fatherhood Initiative program, which was first put in place in 2003.

The $2.8 million planned to strengthen this important program will fund eight community-based organizations throughout the city, which work to improve father-child relationships and bonds. The intention is for each contractor with the initiative to work with about 180 dads per year, an increase from the 120 aided in 2015.