"It's Not Just About MOMMAS": African-American Non-resident Fathers' Views of Paternal Involvement

Many social and economic policies have been developed to increase fathers' involvement with their children. Yet, we know little about the meaning of involvement for African-American non-resident fathers. The purpose of this study was to obtain African-American non-resident fathers' perspectives on involvement and perceptions of their involvement. Seven focus groups were conducted with 69 fathers. Fathers' views of involvement were grouped into four major areas of importance, including sharing and caring, providing guidance, providing support, and serving in culturally specific roles. Fathers described many impediments to, and expressed dissatisfaction with, their level of involvement. The findings support the need for father-focused interventions.