ABSTRACT

Economically disadvantaged fathers are far less likely to marry before having children than middle-class fathers are, and they have them far earlier (Nock 2007). When they do marry, they are more likely to divorce (Martin 2004). In the absence of a marital tie, the government assigns them financial obligations, which most do not satisfy fully (U.S. Census Bureau 2007). Thus, such men’s fathering behavior attracts a good deal of attention from both scholars and policymakers.