State Senator Bill Beagle...
Father’s Day Reflections 
June 14, 2012 

My first year and a half as a state senator has been a whirlwind education on some of the toughest issues facing our state and the intricacies of the legislative process. This Father’s Day, as I pour coffee into my “World’s Best Dad” mug and begin breakfast with my wife and three children, I reflect upon one of the toughest issues threatening the future: the growing absence of fathers in our children’s lives. 

It is important to first recognize the many men who take the responsibility of being a father seriously and hold their children as the first priority in their lives. Without question, this is the most solemn responsibility and the most important occupation in a man’s life. 

Unfortunately, far too many children will grow up without a father. According to the Ohio Commission on Fatherhood, about 2 out of every 5 Ohio children live in homes without fathers. Nationwide, the amount of children living in homes without fathers numbers 24 million. 

Father absence has been shown to have a serious damaging effect on children and serves to augment and intensify the issues facing our society. Children in father-absent homes are five times more likely to live in poverty, three times more likely to fail school, two times more likely to abuse drugs, and two times more likely to be involved in crime. 

So on this Father’s Day, let us not only celebrate those who embody the spirit of being a father, but let us commit to addressing the growing crisis that is fatherhood absence in this country. Far too many children have no father to celebrate on this day, and we owe it to them the future of our society to begin an open and honest effort to reverse this trend.

Senator Bill Beagle serves the people of Ohio’s 5th Senate District, which includes Miami County and portions of Montgomery and Darke Counties.