Children in Virginia are more likely to excel in school and avoid depression when their fathers are present and engaged, a new study shows.
Approximately one in four children in Virginia live without their biological fathers, according to “Good Fathers, Flourishing Kids: The Importance of Fatherhood in Virginia,” a comprehensive study conducted by scholars from the University of Virginia, the American Enterprise Institute, the Brookings Institution, and other research groups.
Researchers analyzed data from the 2022–2023 National Survey of Children’s Health and the 2023 American Community Survey, tracking outcomes for more than 1,300 Virginia children across family types while controlling for income, education, race and other factors.
The researchers measured paternal involvement by how well fathers reported handling parenting demands and how often families shared meals, comparing outcomes like grades, depression rates and poverty across households with present and absent dads.
Children growing up without a father at home “are