The absence of fathers is identified as the fundamental cause of many societal issues today, supported by extensive research presenting clear and indisputable evidence: children need good fathers.
As per the 2020 U.S. Census, 18.4 million children are growing up without their biological fathers. This accounts for 23% of the total 73 million children in the U.S., marking a significant increase since 1968.
Studies on father absence suggest adverse effects on children’s well-being and life outcomes. These include increased risks of depression, substance abuse, anxiety, psychological challenges, propensity for violence, and engagement in criminal or sexual activities. Moreover, mothers experience additional burdens while navigating pregnancy, childbirth, and raising a child solo.
One leading pro-life advocate says the lack of fathers is a massive crisis and one ignored and perpetuated by liberals.
Ryan Bomberger, co-founder and chief creative officer of The Radiance Foundation in Loudon County, Virginia, has long spoken out about his pro-life beliefs.
He told Fox News Digital on Monday morning, “The climate change we should all be most concerned about today is the one in the home. The U.S. sadly leads with the most single parent households in the world — and the vast majority (80%) of those are single female-led homes.”
He added that the absence of fathers in the home “is an epidemic — and its impact on the family, the community and society is devastating.”
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Bomberger called this “most ignored crisis by the Left, which falsely insists that mothers and fathers are either interchangeable or disposable.”
Bomberger said that “nothing can replace a father. Not a woman. Not a live-in boyfriend. Not government insistence programs (which insist that fathers stay out of the picture),” he added in comments included in a press release that was shared with Fox News Digital.
“Today’s popular culture would like to think that family can be defined in any way, but there are clear differences in outcomes for children,” he added ahead of his appearance in Nashville.
“Neither nature nor God intended for women to play both the role of mother and father. We don’t disparage single parents, especially those who do all they can to provide for their child(ren) — but we must highlight the ideal, the model that brings the most benefit to our children and to our society,” said Bomberger.
Bomberger is not alone in his assessment.
In a interview last year, Governor Ron DeSantis highlighted the breakdown of the family and said the lack of fathers is the main source of America’s problems.
“If you had every kid in America had a loving father in the home, we would have far, far fewer problems that we would have to deal with as a society,” the Florida governor said.
DeSantis points to fatherlessness as a main source of societal problems, such as violence and sexual issues and the governor called on fathers to set an example for their children by being “interested” and “present” in their lives.
“I do think there are a lot of problems, but if you could just snap your finger and do one thing, and you did this where the fathers were in the home, you would not even need to worry about a lot of these other problems,” added DeSantis in his interview with First Class Fatherhood.
Data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau strongly correlates with DeSantis’ remarks. According to numbers, over 18 million children in the United States, who make up one out of every four kids, grow up without a father in their home.
DeSantis and his administration are using these statistics to urge fathers to be present in their kids’ lives – and the governor himself has chosen to lead by example by raising several kids of his own, sacrificing his time at the office to be closer to his family.
“When my daughter was born, I was a member of congress at the time up in Washington,” said the governor, who . “So I’m looking at myself, I’m sitting up in my office in D.C., wondering, ‘Why the hell am I up here? I really want to be back down.’”
DeSantis said he tries to set a good personal example of the importance of fatherhood.
He told the podcast that he now has more duties as governor, but he still finds the job to be more “family friendly” due to his office’s proximity to his home.
“I can go out and do stuff all day and be home for dinner,” he said. “Even if I get home late, I see them in the morning. And so part of the reason why I ended up running for governor is because I had two young kids at home, and so if I’m going to do public service I wanted to make sure I can do it in a way that is family friendly.”
“I try to get back for dinner, try to get back to put them to bed, get them up in the morning, and of course doing as many activities with them as possible,” DeSantis added, telling the podcast how he tries to keep his children involved in his duties.
“I brought my son to a multi-city stop one day. We did a bunch of press conferences. The last press conference, he fell asleep on the floor during the press conference, so I had to grab him and take him out,” he shared with a smile. “We do make an effort to involve them and let them be able to see what is really a great state to live in.”
