Children in Virginia are more likely to excel in school and avoid depression when their fathers are present and engaged, a new study shows.
About 1 in 4 children in Virginia live without their biological fathers, according to “Good Fathers, Flourishing Kids: The Importance of Fatherhood in Virginia,” a sweeping 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 father 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 fathers.
Children growing up without a father at home “are only about half as likely to get good grades in school, about twice as likely to be depressed, and nearly three times more likely to have their parents contacted about school problems,” their report states.
Researchers also noted that children with less engaged fathers are “about 2 times more likely to have parents contacted about school problems and 3.7 times more likely to be diagnosed with depression.”
The absence of fathers cuts across racial lines in Virginia. The study found “there is no racial divide in academic performance or school problems between White and Black children from intact families in the state,” with more than 85% of those children earning mostly A’s and B’s.
But for Virginia children in father-absent homes, grades slip and behavioral issues rise, regardless of race.
The challenges are starkest for the estimated 100,000 commonwealth kids with an incarcerated parent, typically a father. The report found these children are about half as likely to get good grades, twice as likely to have parents contacted about behavior issues and five times more likely to be diagnosed with depression.
Still, there are signs of stability. After decades of decline, the share of Virginia children living in married, two-parent homes has leveled off, with a small but notable rise in the share of Black children being raised in married-parent households in recent years.
The report also points to the broader research that backs the importance of dads.
“Greater positive father involvement with young children tends to be associated with overall life satisfaction, happiness, and psychological well-being when offspring reach early adulthood and fewer behavioral problems for children and adolescents,” wrote psychologist Rob Palkovitz, per the report.
Researchers say the data calls for action, as their new report urges Virginia leaders to consider a range of policies to strengthen fatherhood — from launching public awareness campaigns and parenting programs for incarcerated fathers to making schools more welcoming for boys.
