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American Morning

The Importance of Fatherhood

Aired June 08, 2001 - 09:35   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: You get an idea there of the impact of fatherless homes in this country in its social problems. You know, President Bush says that fathers have -- I'm quoting here -- "a unique and irreplaceable role in children's lives."

Well, Jeff Rosenberg would agree with him.

Mr. Rosenberg is the National Fatherhood -- he's with the National Fatherhood Initiative. And he joins us this morning from our Washington bureau. We must point out, he's the father of three and he's been attending a fatherhood summit, as I understand it.

What's that all about?

JEFF ROSENBERG, NATIONAL FATHERHOOD INITIATIVE: Well, it's our fourth annual National Summit on Fatherhood. It's really the premier event of the responsible fatherhood movement. So we have 500 practitioners, researchers, policy makers in Washington really exploring ways that we can move the fatherhood movement forward and reach more fathers in all kinds of circumstances.

HARRIS: Well, put those statistics that we just saw into some perspective for us. Are those numbers moving in a particular direction? Are they getting better, worse over the years -- what?

ROSENBERG: Well, we're still -- when we first started seven years ago, even the notion that kids needed a dad was very controversial. Clearly, we've had an impact on how society thinks about fathers because it's consensus now that kids really need a mother and a dad. Our next step is to change those figures that you referred to.

We're still about at the point where a third of kids are not living with their biological dad, about 28 percent not living with a father at all. Our next step in the responsible fatherhood movement is to move those numbers down.

HARRIS: But aren't -- do you think men are getting the message? It would seem to me, if the media really reflects what's happening in society, you see more and more television shows about fathers and fathers who are working to include themselves in their children's lives whether or not they're married to the child's mother. We see more of that kind of thing happening throughout the media. Is that not, I guess, producing some sort of a positive result at all? ROSENBERG: Yes. I mean, there is the good news, Leon. There's no -- over the last generation or two, the whole picture of what a father does and who a father is has changed. Men today are embracing the nurturing role of fathering, understanding that the investment of time that they make in their kids' lives is crucial their kids development and crucial to their own health.

So the good news in there is that you're absolutely right: Fathers today are embracing their role as fathers.

HARRIS: Yes. And it seems as though it's been marketed, if you will, to men that you don't have to -- it doesn't mean that you're necessarily soft if you pay attention to these sort of things and you actually are more, I guess, in touch with your feelings and you do spend time doing things you're supposed to do with the children.

ROSENBERG: Yes. I make sure that my kids hear every day that I love them. And one of our key messages from the very beginning is that the most important thing a father can do for his children is not necessarily chase the next big promotion, but to spend time and invest their time in their children's lives.

HARRIS: So, Jeff Rosenberg, from the National Fatherhood Initiative, thank you very much. And enjoy yourself there at that summit. And here's hoping for some positive results everywhere. Good luck to you down the road.

ROSENBERG: Thank you.

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