Matt Bush, FISM News
On Monday, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Florida’s HB 7065 better known as the “Fatherhood Bill.” Breitbart describes the bill as “a $70 million initiative that aims to provide resources for educational and mentorship programs to help children, fathers, and families in the state through the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) and the Department of Children and Families (DCF).”
https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1513518576228978688
The two organizations involved, DCF and DJJ, will each lead specific aspects of this plan and rely on nonprofits and other organizations to help. According to The Hill, this is how the two organizations’ roles will be broken down:
“DJJ will create a mentorship program to help at-risk youth through the new initiative, hosting various programs such as barbershop talks and fatherhood classes.”
“DCF will also launch a statewide campaign to raise awareness around the importance of fatherhood, supporting nonprofit organizations to help fathers stay engaged and connect with their children, along with case managers and resources to assist fathers looking for employment opportunities.”
Yahoo News also reports, “The initiative sets aside $32.6 million for grants aimed at helping fathers and will provide $1,720 stipends for young adults who were in foster care.”
The profound impact of Fatherlessness in America is difficult to comprehend, however, some statistics help us grasp the bigger picture. About 18.4 million children, or 1 in 4, live without a biological, step, or adoptive father at home, and this lack of male influence negatively affects boys and girls alike.
The website, Saving Fatherhood, compiles statistics using data from the U.S. Department of Health, U.S. Census Bureau, and CDC. Here are some of those statistics:
- 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes.
- 90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes.,
- 85% of all children who show behavior disorders come from fatherless homes.
- Daughters of single parents without a Father involved are 53% more likely to marry as teenagers,711% more likely to have children as teenagers, 164% more likely to have a pre-marital birth, and 92% more likely to get divorced themselves.
- 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes.
- 85% of all youths in prison come from fatherless homes.
- 75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes.
Statistics like these have led Gov. DeSantis and others to take action.
One of the people present at the bill’s signing was former Super-Bowl-winning NFL Head Coach and founder of the organization “All Pro Dad” Tony Dungy. When interviewed at the event, Dungy said, “This is going to be tremendous and such a good help to fathers in Florida. This bill is so important. I want to thank all of the men and women that have been behind this. It is going to allow groups like All Pro Dad and people like those here today to do great things for our fathers here in Florida.”
After attending the bill signing, Dungy was taken to task on Twitter by leftist political commentator Keith Olberman who called Dungy a “fraud” and “fascist political prop.”
https://twitter.com/KeithOlbermann/status/1513629245662191617
Dungy replied to those on the left who doubted his motive with a tweet using former President Obama’s own words:
https://twitter.com/TonyDungy/status/1514234510585606145
It is too early to tell if that tweet will represent the stance of the political left regarding the bill’s content or if it was just a reaction to Dungy supporting DeSantis. In light of the statistics like those listed above, hopefully, the Fatherhood Bill will receive bipartisan support.