Children do better when fathers are involved

... What this report does is give the lie to Harman's contention that one family is as good as another. No, it damned well isn't. The report cites half a dozen pieces of research that demonstrate pretty conclusively that children do better in terms of mental health and social adjustment when their fathers as well as their mothers are involved in their upbringing. Children are 40 per cent more likely to suffer mental health problems if they do not have contact with one parent. Girls are more likely to have healthy relationships with men – as you'd expect – if their fathers are part of their lives.

Granted, there are any number of single mothers who would love to have their children's fathers closely involved in their upbringing – if they could track them down. But it has to be said, fathers are more likely to be tied into the rearing of their children if they are married to the mother: unmarried, separated fathers tend to lose touch with their children within three years. Read more
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