Nonresident Fathers and Child Food Insecurity: Evidence from Longitudinal Data

Abstract

More than 1 in 10 children in the United States experience food insecurity, and children in single-mother families are at greatest risk. We examine the associations of nonresident father involvement and child food insecurity using two nationally representative panel data sets of children in early and middle childhood. Nonresident father involvement, based on a comprehensive index, is associated with lower food insecurity in both early and middle childhood, and this is robust to different model specifications. Fathers’ provision of in-kind support is a particularly salient indicator of involvement for both groups of children. We find some evidence that irregular cash support, compared to no support, increases food insecurity for children in middle childhood. These results add to mounting evidence that nonresident father involvement outside of the formal child support system positively affects children and must be considered in policy discussions related to child support, child poverty, and child well-being.