Resources for
Community Leaders

Good Dads Make Great Communities

At Good Dads, we believe in the power of supporting engaged fatherhood. When fathers are equipped with the tools they need to be good dads, everyone wins. In fact, when a community is committed to promoting father engagement, we have found that four critical outcomes occur:

Neighborhoods are safer

Adult male scarcity in a community is a predictor for high rates of youth assault.
A 1% increase in the proportion of single-parent families in a neighborhood was associated with a 3% increase in an adolescent’s level of violence.
When dads are positively involved with their children early on, children have fewer behavior problems in middle childhood and adolescence.
Responsible, engaged fathers and their children are less likely to abuse drugs and, in general, are less likely to be involved in crime.
Teen boys who live with their fathers are less likely to carry guns and deal drugs.
Formerly incarcerated dads who participate in fatherhood programs are less likely to recidivate.

Schools are stronger

One study comparing father-adolescent relationships found that teens with absent fathers had lower academic performance and were at a higher risk of school and course failure. Adolescents who had never met their biological fathers were at the greatest risk of all. Conversely, students living with both biological parents have higher GPAs and consistently outperform their peers in school.
Fathers tend to ask open-ended questions and engage in more conversationally challenging dialog with their children, expanding their language skills and aiding in linguistic development.
When dads read to their children and engage in educational play, children’s cognitive development benefits, including improved vocabulary and understanding the meanings of words.
When father are involved in their children’s educations, students learn more, do better in school and exhibit healthier behavior, said the U.S. Departments of Education and Health & Human Services in a joint report.

Mental health and relationships flourish.

The bad news: Father absence in generational. Men who grew up with absent fathers were more likely to become absent fathers. Likewise, women with absent fathers were more likely to have children with absent fathers.
But the good news is this: When parent couples work together, they are better off. Positive communication, high-quality support systems and especially father involvement contribute to higher relationship/marital satisfaction.
One study found a correlation between parents’ marital problems and children’s behavioral problems.
Fathers’ playful interactions with their children can translate to positive social, emotional and cognitive outcomes for youngsters.
Adolescents who have warm relationships with their fathers are more optimistic and have higher-quality relationships with others. They are less stressed and have fewer depressive symptoms.

The economy is more robust.

Men who spend more time with their children are more likely to be satisfied at work and less likely to look for another job. These fathers feel more enriched on the job and at home.
When we invest in fathers, they earn more, pay more in taxes and are more involved in the community. They are less likely to go to jail. And their children see increased lifetime earnings, too.
One study found nearly $6 billion a year is lost in decreased productivity stemming from relationship and marriage problems.
Children in homes without their fathers make up half of all SNAP (formerly food stamps) recipients.
Children raised with their fathers are less likely to experience poverty.

Great Communities

We suggest that without a focus on father engagement, Americans are destined to have continued problems with poor schools, unsafe neighborhoods and weak economies. That is, if we continue to do what we’ve always been doing, we will continue to get more of what we’ve already got. If we want things to change, we must do something new …
something different.

Good Dads Great Communities is a new and different approach. The program gathers people in a community or organization to focus on father engagement for the explicit purpose of building great communities by encouraging good dads.

We know that community programs are only successful when many disciplines, expertises and experiences can come together for a common goal. Our Six Sectors model ensures you won’t need to champion fathers alone. Only an intersectional approach with buy-in from many areas of a community can maintain long-term, sustainable change.

Click each sector for more information

Program Summaries

Good Dads is for all dads. When you bring Good Dads’ services to your community, you’ll have access to a variety of Good Dads programs to help you reach your goals.

Good Dads
Strong Schools

Programs for
At-Risk Dads

Workplace
Programs

Programs for
Faith Communities

What is Good Dads Great Communities?

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Podcasts

The Good Dads Great Communities podcast is the essential podcast for actionable insights on community building by prioritizing engaged fatherhood. Discover how your community can foster positive change through partnerships, leadership, and local initiatives that strengthen families and neighborhoods. Gain practical strategies to empower fathers and create thriving communities.

Good Dads Great Communities Episode 5

Connecting Your Identity in the Community with Your Goals

Good Dads Great Communities Episode 4

Finding Community Champions

Good Dads Great Communities Episode 3

Identifying Your Community Goals

Good Dads Great Communities Episode 2

Getting Started – Six Essential Sectors

Good Dads Great Communities Ep 1

Why Good Dads Are Critical to Community Well-Being

Community Engagement Blogs

Dive into the latest updates from Good Dads’ community development efforts.

A dad and two children hold hands as they walk in a grassy field below a blue sky

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Resources for
Community Leaders

Good Dads Make Great Communities

Great Communities