The Fatherless Generation

We all know that broken families permeate our society. Today's kids are known as the “fatherless generation.” In your clubs you undoubtedly have lots of children from divorced families, many of whom seldom see their fathers.

The National Center for Fathering (www.fathers.com) has done a number of research studies in this area. They recently released some sobering figures on the problem of absent fathers in today's culture:

1. An estimated 24.7 million children (36.3%) live absent from their biological father.

2. There are almost 17 million children (25%) living with their single mothers.

3. 1.25 million or 32% of all births in 1995 were out-of-wedlock.

4. Today nearly 4 out of 10 first marriages end in divorce, 60% of divorcing couples have children, and over one million children each year experience the divorce of their parents.

5. One out of every six children is a stepchild.

6. There are nearly 1.9 million single fathers with children under 18.

7. 4 out of every 10 cohabitating couples have children present, and of children born to cohabitating couples, only 4 out of 10 will see their parents marry. Those who do cohabitate experience a 50% higher divorce rate.

8. 26% of absent fathers live in a different state than their children.

9. About 40% of the children who live in fatherless households haven't seen their fathers in at least a year while 50% of children who don't live with their fathers have never stepped foot in their father's home.

10. Children who live absent from their biological fathers, on average, are more likely to be poor, experience educational, health, emotional and psychological problems, be victims of child abuse, and engage in criminal behavior than their peers who live with their married, biological mother and father.

What can we do about this plague on our nation? As instructors, we need to educate our teachers concerning this issue. Share the statistics with them in your training programs. Use illustrations about the negative effects of fatherlessness on this generation.

We can also remind teachers to pray for children who are growing up without a father present in their homes. We can encourage positive male role models for these children by challenging more men to get involved teaching Good News Clubs!

We need to teach children what God intended for the family, and especially for the role of the father in the family (Scripture has lots of examples of how NOT to father!).

Most of all, we need to teach children about God the Father, who loves with a perfect, pure love, who disciplines His children for their profit and who has a listening ear and wise guidance for every situtaion.

The statistics paint a bleak picture for this generation. This is all the more reason to challege our teachers to reach the chiildren with the Gospel. Remember, no child is truly fatherless who knows God as his heavenly Father!