Quantity versus quality of nonresident father involvement: Deconstructing the argument that quantity doesn’t matter

ABSTRACT

Over the last few decades, numerous studies have examined the impact of nonresident fathers on the well-being of their children, including two meta-analyses. Such research consistently has demonstrated that when nonresident fathers are involved with their children in positive ways, their children benefit substantially; however, studies also have found that the amount of nonresident father contact, in and of itself, typically is not associated with children’s well-being. Some scholars, practitioners, and policymakers have framed the nonsignificant associations between contact and child well-being as an argument against joint physical custody. This paper examines why such reasoning is flawed, and why both quality and quantity of nonresident father involvement are necessary to consider when wanting to promote the well-being of children.

KEYWORDS:

• Child well-being
• contact
• father involvement
• joint physical custody
• nonresident fathers