Race/Ethnic Differences in Nonresident Fathers' Involvement After a Nonmarital Birth

Objectives. This article examines how the levels of nonresidential fathers' involvement (over child ages 1-9) differ by race/ethnicity (comparing white, black, and Hispanic fathers), and then considers how individual and couple characteristics may "account for" any observed differences. Method. Data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 2,447) and random effects models were used to examine how nonresidential fathers' involvement (with respect to time, engagement, shared responsibility, and co-parenting with mothers) is differentiated by race and ethnicity. Results. Overall, black nonresident fathers were significantly more likely to spend time and engage in activities with their children as compared to Hispanic fathers-but not white fathers. Black fathers also shared responsibilities more frequently and displayed more effective co-parenting than Hispanic and white fathers. Conclusion. Fathers' involvement with children is shown to differ across major race/ethnic groups, with implications for children as well as for future research and public policy.