After Years in the Wilderness, Fathers Stage a Remarkable Comeback

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Robert Thompson

Telephone: +1-301-801-0608

After Years in the Wilderness, Fathers Stage a Remarkable Comeback

WASHINGTON / August 20, 2025 – This past Saturday 250 fathers and friends gathered in Upper Marlboro, Maryland to attend the Dad Games. The spirited event featured competitive activities such as Trash Can Basketball, the One-Trip Grocery Bag Relay, and other activities designed to celebrate fathers (1).

The event reflected three broader shifts that have gone largely unnoticed in our society:

Young men are now more likely than their female counterparts to aspire to become a parent. Among young single persons, 57% of men, compared to only 45% of women, say they hope to become a parent someday (2).
Fathers are spending more time with their children. American fathers now spend an average of 7.8 hours each week on child care, up by one hour per week since 2003. (3)
As a result, 47% of fathers say they are doing a better job than their own dads did, with another 47% about the same (4).

For years, fathers were regarded as just “another pair of hands” or merely a substitute mom. But 2025 is witnessing a reversal of this perception.

On June 18, Senators Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Roger Marshall (R-KS), and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) introduced the Dads Matter Act, S. 2131 (5). In the House, Representatives Byron Donalds (R-FL) and Burgess Owens (R-UT) introduced HRes 487 that declares, “fatherhood is essential to the development of all children.” (6)

Fathers’ Day 2025 witnessed numerous high-profile events around the country:

New York City: Moms First and Equimundo joined forces to convene the inaugural Future of Fatherhood Summit. The summit welcomed over 300 guests in person and tens of thousands of virtual viewers across the U.S. (7)

Ohio: Senate President Rob McColley announced a $20 million investment for the Ohio Commission on Fatherhood (8).

Washington, DC: The Jack Brewer Foundation, championed by the former Minnesota Vikings player, celebrated the grand opening of its National Fatherhood Center (9).

To date, fatherhood commissions and councils have been established in 14 states: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, Washington, DC, Washington State, and Wisconsin (10).

Despite these positive developments, major challenges remain. The Census Bureau reports 17.6 million children — nearly 1 in 4 — live without a biological, step, or adoptive father in the home (11). The epidemic of dad deprivation foretells a range of social problems including poverty, lower educational attainment, and increased risk of involvement with the juvenile justice system (12).

Lawmakers need to engage in the urgent challenge of strengthening the role of fathers in their families.

SAVE – Stop Abusive and Violent Environments – is a 501(c)3 organization working to assure due process, fairness, and equal opportunities for men.

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