Benefits of Father Engagement

Supporting Father Involvement (SFI)

Results from the Supporting Father Involvement (SFI) project in four California counties included, but were not limited to, the following benefits:

  • An increase in father involvement related to child care tasks and visitation
  • No increase in children's problem behavior
  • A decrease in anxiety in fathers
  • A decline in mother's parenting stress
  • A reduction in parents' violent behavior
  • Relationship satisfaction for those people who identified that they were in a relationship

Other Benefits to Children

  • Greater empathy
  • Less gender role stereotyping
  • More awareness of needs and rights of others
  • More generous " Higher self-esteem
  • More self-control and less impulsivity
  • Increased curiosity
  • Increased exploration of the world around them
  • Less hesitance and fear in new situations
  • Greater tolerance for stress and frustration
  • More willingness to try new things
  • Higher verbal skills
  • Higher scores on assessments of cognitive competence
  • Daughter's increased competence in math
  • Son's IQ is related to father' s nurturing (Minnesota Fathers and Families Network)