The $154 Billion Case for Investing in Fathers
Let’s skip the ties and grill brushes for Father’s Day this year and give dads what they deserve: investments in support, parental equity, and recognition of the important role they play for their children and families.
A new report from the Center for Policy Research, The $154 Billion Man: The Economic Argument for Investing in Fathers, puts a striking number behind what family support professionals have long understood: families thrive when fathers are engaged. As policymakers search for ways to strengthen families and reduce public spending, supporting father is one of the most overlooked investments, yet it is also one of the most effective.
According to the report, in 2018 alone, the federal government spent $154.2 billion on major assistance programs supporting children and mothers in father-absent households. That is nearly four percent of the total federal budget. In Massachusetts, roughly one-third of children live in single-parent families, underscoring the importance of helping fathers remain actively involved in their children’s lives. Investing in fathers is not just good for families, it is a good financial investment. Policies and programs that help fathers succeed can strengthen families before challenges escalate and reduce reliance on costly interventions later.
And the outcomes are not just economic. Research shows that when fathers are positively involved in their children’s lives, children experience higher educational achievement, improved emotional wellbeing, and greater economic stability. Fathers benefit as well, reporting improved mental health, stronger family relationships, and greater life satisfaction.
Despite decades of evidence about the importance of fathers, many family support systems were designed primarily with mothers in mind. That’s why the Children’s Trust has invested in father engagement for more than 30 years. One notable example is the Nurturing Fathers Program at the Hampshire County House of Corrections, which works with incarcerated fathers to strengthen parenting skills and maintain meaningful connections with their children during and after incarceration. Since we began our partnership 10 years ago, over 100 fathers have graduated from the program and only 3 have returned to the jail, a remarkable success rate.
But the work extends far beyond individual programs. Through Healthy Families Massachusetts, our home visiting program for first-time parents, we have worked with our partners to weave father involvement and co-parenting into practice models, staff training, and family engagement strategies. Home visitors are encouraged to view fathers as partners in supporting child development and family wellbeing, rather than as peripheral participants. As a result, fathers are nearly four times more likely to be primary participants in Healthy Families Massachusetts than in Healthy Families programs nationwide. Nowhere is this more evident than Greater Brockton Healthy Families where 62% of program participants engaged both parents during at least one home visit, up from 28% in 2024. The social and economic impact of investing in programs that support the whole family is also clear: a report from Tufts University found that for every dollar invested in Healthy Families Massachusetts, the Commonwealth sees a future cost savings of $3.11.
The goal is not simply to serve more fathers, but to create systems where meaningful father engagement is embedded into everyday practice. Massachusetts has long been a national leader in prevention and family support. Yet even here, fathers remain underrepresented in many services designed to support families. While federal policy changes may take time, communities can act now by investing in evidence-informed programs and building family support systems that recognize fathers as assets.
This Father’s Day, gratitude is important. But gratitude alone does not help fathers build stable careers, strengthen parenting skills, or stay connected to their children. Those outcomes require intentional investment. Massachusetts has spent decades leading the nation in family support and prevention. Continuing that leadership means recognizing fathers not as an afterthought, but as an essential part of helping children and families thrive.
Father engagement is not a Father’s Day sentiment. It is a prevention strategy.
About the 30 for 30 Fatherhood Series
This story is part of 30 Stories for 30 Years, marking 30 years of the Children’s Trust Fatherhood Initiative. The series highlights how professionals and organizations across Massachusetts support father involvement, healthy co-parenting, and stronger parenting partnerships as part of upstream prevention.