As I recently watched the debates between the presidential and vice-presidential candidates, I realized the biggest threat to national security isn't the war between Russia and the Ukraine, or Iran lobbing missiles into Israel or even the unreported unrest taking place throughout the continent of Africa. Shockingly, the biggest threat to national security is the real, more subtle danger inside our own borders — that of fatherless homes. Even the threats posed by a trade imbalance from China pale in comparison to the devastation that fatherless homes have on the American family and, by default, America First national security.
You may not think of fatherhood as a matter of national security, but the numbers tell a quite different story. Nearly 18.5 million children in the U.S.—that’s one in four—are growing up without a father in their lives. In 1965, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who served as an advisor to President Nixon and later became a U.S. Senator, warned of the dangers to the Black family by incentivizing single family homes through what was termed “man out of house” rules which required fathers to be absent for families to receive welfare benefits.
Fatherlessness is not a new problem, but it is on the rise. And while Moynihan was criticized by his own party in 1965 for sounding the alarm, it has become painfully clear that he was correct. The consequences are far-reaching, impacting everything from crime rates to educational outcomes to emotional well-being.
The absence of fathers has profound effects on kids. Statistics show that children without an involved father are at higher risk for a range of issues. They are 60% more likely to be suspended from school, twice as likely to struggle in finding stable employment or finishing school, and a staggering 80% more likely to spend time in jail. Those numbers represent real lives—young people whose potential is being stunted because they don't have the guidance and support that an involved father can offer.
This isn't just about individual households either. Fatherless homes create societal ripple effects that we can't afford to ignore. Higher rates of juvenile incarceration, teen pregnancy, and substance abuse mean greater burdens on the legal system, social services, and our schools. Communities where father absence is prevalent often face cycles of poverty and dysfunction that are difficult to break, and have diminished capability to create intergenerational wealth.
If study after study from the left and right side of the aisle confirm the importance of fathers, why are we not racing full speed ahead to embracing policies that incentivize healthy marriages with a mother and a father, empower fathers to be more present and involved through flexible work models? What will it take to make fatherhood great again?
One issue is certainly the messaging. Sometimes when we elevate the importance of fathers, society confuses that as demoralizing single moms. Let’s be crystal clear. This is not about demonizing single mothers. There are countless single moms out there doing an incredible job raising their children, often in extremely tough situations. Acknowledging the importance of fathers doesn't diminish their work or their value. It’s not an either-or proposition. Fathers and mothers each bring something unique to the table, and when both are involved, the benefits are undeniable.
Some 55 years ago, my grade schoolteachers required us to have our homework signed by our parents. My dad always signed. He signed his name, and he always added "David's father" right underneath his signature. One day I asked him why he did that. He said he wanted the teachers and administrators at that school to know his son had a father who lived in the home. I didn't understand it then. I appreciate it so much today.
But messaging is only a sliver of the problem. The biggest hurdle is a lack of imagination in implementing policies that uplift fathers. And the only way to do that is to treat fatherless homes as an America First national security issue.
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David Byrd served as the 18th National Director of the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) located within the U.S. Department of Commerce. Earlier in his career he worked with homeless families and individuals and incarcerated youth as a Certified Life Skills Coach.
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