Overview

It seems that more and more folks are sharing the message that fathers should be more involved in caring for their children. You may hear this message on TV, on the radio, where you worship, at school, at meetings, at work, and, especially, at home. Father involvement is defined as men's "positive, wide-ranging, and active participation in their children's lives " (Marsiglio et al., 2000, p. 276). Being an involved father can be defined in many more ways (Pleck & Masciadrelli, 2004; Marsiglio, 2006). Father involvement means • direct interaction between a father and child (play, caretaking); • accessibility, or how available a father is to hi