Heinz may have 57 varieties but marriage doesn’t

News

Fatherlessness has been in the news again, with Heinz coming under fire over a recent advert and Conservative leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch asking “Where are the dads?”

Leaving aside debates over which social groups have more or fewer fathers at home, one thing is clear: a father being present in the home is always better than his absence. Marriage remains the best mechanism for keeping biological parents together, and ensuring that children grow up with both their mum and dad.

Critics of the ad are right to raise their voices because the evidence is clear: fathers matter, and their absence has severe impacts on children. While many single mothers do a heroic job, the role of a father is unique and irreplaceable. Professor Edward Kruk, a retired specialist in child and family policy, described the “father deficit” experienced by children whose fathers are absent.

Drawing on US research, he notes that absent fathers are a common factor in 71 percent of high school dropouts, 85 percent of youth in prison and 90 percent of runaway children. Pre-schoolers not living with both their biological parents are 40 times more likely to be sexually abused, while children brought up without a father have four years’ lower life expectancy on average.

At C4M, we know that real marriage offers children the stability they need to thrive. Married parents are far more likely to stay together, providing the love and support that children deserve. We must continue to speak up for the importance of fathers and mothers, and the vital role of marriage in securing their place within the family and society. In contrast, same-sex so-called ‘marriage’ can never be a substitute for the irreplaceable contribution of both a mother and a father.