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A RESOLUTION encouraging the establishment of the Fatherhood and Family 1
Engagement Task Force. 2
WHEREAS, fathers play a vital and irreplaceable role in the emotiona l, 3
educational, behavioral, and economic well-being of children; and 4
WHEREAS, extensive research demonstrates that children who grow up with an 5
engaged father are more likely to succeed academically, less likely to experience poverty, 6
less likely to engage in criminal activity, and more likely to develop healthy relationships 7
and attain positive life outcomes; and 8
WHEREAS, father absence has been associated with increased risks of poverty, 9
behavioral challenges, educational underachievement, substance abuse , and involvement 10
in the juvenile and criminal justice systems; and 11
WHEREAS, strengthening father engagement has been shown to improve child 12
well-being, reduce public assistance dependency, and strengthen families and 13
communities; and 14
WHEREAS, the Commonwe alth of Kentucky has a strong interest in promoting 15
policies that support responsible fatherhood, remove unnecessary barriers to fathers' 16
involvement in their children's lives, and encourage positive parental engagement; and 17
WHEREAS, understanding the spec ific barriers and opportunities affecting fathers 18
in Kentucky is essential to developing informed, effective, and responsible public policy; 19
NOW, THEREFORE, 20
Be it resolved by the Senate of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of 21
Kentucky: 22
Section 1. The Legislative Research Commission is hereby encouraged to 23
establish the Fatherhood and Family Engagement Task Force to study issues related to 24
fatherhood, father engagement, and father absence in the Commonwealth, develop 25
recommendations to strengthe n families and improve outcomes for children, and 26
examine: 27
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(1) The social, economic, educational, and public safety impacts of father absence 1
on children, families, and communities within the Commonwealth; 2
(2) The current state of father engagement in Kent ucky, including demographic 3
trends, regional disparities, and affected populations; 4
(3) Barriers that prevent or discourage fathers from remaining actively involved 5
in the lives of their children, including but not limited to legal, financial, institutiona l, 6
social, and cultural barriers; 7
(4) The role of state agencies, courts, schools, and community organizations in 8
supporting or hindering father engagement; 9
(5) The effectiveness of existing programs, policies, and initiatives in Kentucky 10
designed to promote responsible fatherhood and family stability; 11
(6) Opportunities to improve father engagement through policy reforms, 12
educational initiatives, employment programs, legal reforms, and community 13
partnerships; 14
(7) Best practices from other states that have s uccessfully implemented 15
fatherhood initiatives or reforms; 16
(8) The relationship between father engagement and outcomes related to child 17
welfare, education, public assistance, workforce participation, mental health, and criminal 18
justice; 19
(9) Strategies to i mprove access to resources, parenting education, employment 20
opportunities, and support services for fathers; and 21
(10) Recommendations for legislative, administrative, and community -based 22
solutions to strengthen father engagement across the Commonwealth. 23
Section 2. The recommended membership of the Fatherhood and Family 24
Engagement Task Force is as follows: 25
(1) Two members of the Senate, appointed by the President of the Senate, one of 26
whom shall be designated by the President of the Senate as a co-chair of the task force; 27
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(2) One member of the Senate appointed by the Minority Floor Leader of the 1
Senate; 2
(3) Two members of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of 3
the House of Representatives, one of whom sha ll be designated by the Speaker of the 4
House of Representatives as a co-chair of the task force; 5
(4) One member of the House of Representatives appointed by the Minority Floor 6
Leader of the House of Representatives; 7
(5) The secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, or designee; 8
(6) The director of the Administrative Office of the Courts, or designee; 9
(7) The commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Education, or designee; 10
(8) The secretary of the Cabinet for Economic Development, or designee; and 11
(9) Four at -large members appointed by the Legislative Research Commission, 12
including: 13
(a) One representative from a nonprofit organization focused on fatherhood or 14
family engagement; 15
(b) One representative from a child advocacy organization; 16
(c) One representative with expertise in mental health or family counseling; and 17
(d) One father from the Commonwealth with lived experience relevant to the 18
mission of the task force. 19
Section 3. The Fatherhood and Family Engage ment Task Force is encouraged 20
to meet at least monthly during the 2026 Interim of the General Assembly and to submit 21
findings and recommendations to the Legislative Research Commission for referral to the 22
Interim Joint Committee on Families and Children by December 1, 2026. 23