Absent, cruel, or incompetent fathers are the default in much of our cultural imagination of down-on-their-luck dads — just look at the depictions of fathers on most TV shows. Jessica Seinfeld, founder and president of the GOOD+ Foundation, says that the stereotypes, pernicious even amongst advocates for families and fathers, are harmful to everyone:

The idea that most fathers want what’s best for their children shouldn’t be a radical notion, but Jessica Seinfeld says that many people don’t understand what's really at play with absent or struggling fathers:

Many men who struggle to be a healthy father figure have experienced trauma from a young age that follows with them throughout their lives. This trauma is compounded by both the lack of resources to address it and the taboos that prevent many people from discussing it. 

The data is unequivocal, claims Reggie Bicha, executive director of Shine Early Learning. Outcomes for children are better across the board when both parents are involved in the upbringing of their child. The parents don’t have to live together to see the improved results, but they both need to be in the picture. That’s why Bicha says we should be fighting equally as hard for fathers as we do for mothers:

If the public and private sectors alike are failing fathers, so what does truly father-friendly policy look like in practice? Kimberly Dent, executive director of the Ohio Commission on Fatherhood, explains how Ohio is actually leading the country to lift up fathers: