S.C.R. 9

1

FATHERS DO MATTER CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
2 2012 GENERAL SESSION
3 STATE OF UTAH
4 Chief Sponsor: Gene Davis
5 House Sponsor: ____________
6
7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 This concurrent resolution of the Legislature and the Governor urges government
10 agencies and nonprofit organizations to support responsible fatherhood programs.
11 Highlighted Provisions:
12 This resolution:
13 . urges government agencies and nonprofit organizations to study strategies, and
14 support responsible fatherhood programs, to help fathers connect with children and
15 develop essential parenting skills.
16 Special Clauses:
17 None
18
19 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
20 WHEREAS, the affects of father-absent households have contributed to poverty,
21 maternal and child health risks, incarceration, crime, teenage pregnancy, child abuse, drug and
22 alcohol abuse, lack of education, and childhood obesity;
23 WHEREAS, father-absent households create a substantial drain on societal and
24 government resources;
25 WHEREAS, in Utah, many organizations have not been educated on the significant role
26 fathers play in resolving social issues in communities throughout the state;
27 WHEREAS, many fathers have not grasped how they, as role models, impact their

28 children;
29 WHEREAS, to the extent fathers struggle to accept and fulfill their responsibilities to
30 family members, the communities in the state are at risk;
31 WHEREAS, a study conducted by the National Fatherhood Initiative reports that the
32 federal government spends $100,000,000,000 every year to support father-absent households;
33 WHEREAS, the actual amount may be higher because the study did not measure the
34 impact of related costs like the criminal justice system, which is overwhelmed by men who
35 grew up in father-absent households;
36 WHEREAS, any serious effort to address poverty, child abuse, crime and recidivism,
37 drug abuse, teen pregnancy, or lack of education must make restoring fatherhood an integral
38 part of the solution;
39 WHEREAS, a father-absent household is not a single issue, and its social and economic
40 consequences are felt across society;
41 WHEREAS, 25,000,000 men, or one out of three, grow up in homes where their
42 biological father does not reside;
43 WHEREAS, these children are significantly more likely to live in poverty, drop out of
44 school, and engage in risky behaviors; and
45 WHEREAS, government agencies and nonprofit organizations should understand the
46 dynamics of responsible fatherhood programs to most effectively address the impact
47 father-absent households have on families and communities:
48 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
49 Governor concurring therein, urge government agencies and nonprofit organizations to study
50 strategies, and support responsible fatherhood programs, to help fathers connect with children
51 and develop essential parenting skills.
52 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Utah
53 Department of Human Services, the Utah Department of Corrections, the Utah Association of
54 Counties, the Utah League of Cities and Towns, the United Way, Utah House Blogs, the Salt
55 Lake Interfaith Roundtable, the Utah Department of Workforce Services' Office of Work and
56 Family Life, and the Utah Nonprofit Association.

Legislative Review Note
as of 2-16-12 12:42 PM

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel