A Portrait of Latino Fathers: Strengths and Challenges

This brief contributes to this body of research by analyzing nationally representative data about Latino fathers. Using data from the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), researchers from the National Center for Research on Hispanic Children & Families examine a sample of Latino fathers ages 18 to 44 with biological children ages zero to 18 years old. Given previous research that has shown that the family experiences of Hispanic children differ in many respects by whether their parents are immigrants or U.S.-born, they examine differences among immigrant and non-immigrant (i.e., U.S.-born) Latino fathers. They present key socio-demographic information, such as fathers’ educational attainment and residential, marital, and employment status, because these characteristics have been linked to father engagement and child well-being in previous studies.