National Fatherhood Initiative

Christopher A. Brown is president of National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI). Chris has been with NFI since 2000, having previously served as executive vice president. Chris oversees NFI's strategy and business model development and implementation, operations, and fundraising. He is responsible for the development, implementation, evaluation, and improvement of NFI’s products, programs, training, and services. Chris has played a critical role in shaping NFI’s focus as the leading provider of fatherhood skill-building resources in the country and the leading trainer of practitioners seeking to offer fatherhood programs in their communities. In his long tenure with NFI, he has been the organization’s foremost developer of its world-class fatherhood programs. Brown has authored or co-authored flagship NFI programs such as 24/7 Dad® and InsideOut Dad®, its more recent, innovative programs such as Understanding Dad™, and many workshops, brochures, pocket guides, and other skill-building materials. An applied anthropologist and author of several journal articles and book chapters on issues related to child health and well-being, he has studied masculinity cross culturally, especially as it applies to fatherhood and men's health and well-being. He has appeared as a fatherhood expert in media outlets, including the L.A. Times, New York Times, Nick Jr. Magazine, and CNN. He served as a social marketing specialist and health communications consultant with the Texas Department of State Health Services before joining NFI. He received his bachelor's degree in Anthropology from the University of North Texas and his master's degree in Applied Anthropology from the University of South Florida. Chris lives in the Austin,Texas area with his wife and two daughters, ages 18 and 15.

The most disturbing social trend of our times is the dramatic increase in fatherlessness in the United States.In 1960, less than 8 million children were living in families where the father was absent. Today the number of children living in father-absent homes stands at over 24 million. That means that tonight, one out of every three children in America will go to sleep in a home in which their father does not live. Children who grow up in father-absent homes are significantly more likely to do poorly on almost every measure of child well-being. For example: -- Almost 75 percent of American children who grow up in single-parent homes will experience poverty before they turn 11-years-old, compared to only 20 percent for families where there are two parents. -- Violent criminals are overwhelmingly males who grew up without fathers, including 72 percent of adolescent murderers and 70 percent of long-term prison inmates. -- Children living in father-absent homes are also more likely to be suspended from school, or to drop out; be treated for an emotional or behavioral problem; commit suicide as adolescents; and be victims of child abuse or neglect. National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI), supported by its members, is working to change this. We serve as a catalyst for engaging America in a public and forthright discussion about the necessity of reversing these trends. NFI equips fathers and father-serving organizations with high-quality fatherhood skill-building materials and training, encourages and supports family and father-friendly policies, and develops national public education campaigns to highlight the importance of fathers in the lives of their children. I invite you to support NFI. Ensuring that more children grow up with involved and committed fathers is the best way to ensure that every child has what should be their birthright: a happy and secure childhood. Christopher A. Brown, President, National Fatherhood Initiative