One in five children in the United States is born to an unwed mother. Fifty-three percent of children supported by welfare have unmarried parents. While public attention has focused almost solely on unwed mothers, an emerging new interest in unwed fathers is being fueled largely by sensational anecdotes and stereotypes. This volume is the first to bring together a wide and balanced array of research perspectives on unwed fatherhood. Sixteen essays - all but one of which are original to this volume - describe unwed fathers' characteristics and behavior, examine policies to enforce child support, assess programs designed to help unwed fathers assume parental responsibility, and discuss the legal and ethical rights and obligations of unwed fathers. New research is presented that examines the patterns, causes, and consequences of unwed fatherhood. Two of the essays focus on young men in New York City and Philadelphia. The comprehensive studies presented here review male involvement in unwed parenting from pre-parenthood sexual behavior, through pregnancy/abortion/ adoption decisions, to the social and economic aspects of raising an out-of-wedlock child. Irresponsible "macho" stereotypes of unwed teenage fathers are both challenged and confirmed. The Family Support Act of 1988 and other emerging state and federal policies that involve welfare, employment, and child support are discussed in terms of the implications for unwed fathers. Some essays analyze programs that promote financial stability and thus parental responsibility for unwed fathers. Relying on research ranging from national surveys to rich ethnographies, the contributors provide new knowledge and insights to the public debateabout welfare reform, paternity and child support, and family values.

Acknowledgments 1. Introduction: Evolution of Unwed Fatherhood as a Policy Issue Robert I. Lerman and Theodora J. Ooms Part I: Who Young Unwed Fathers Are 2. A National Profile of Young Unwed Fathers Robert I. Lerman 3. Young Fathers and Parenting in a Central City Mercer L. Sullivan 4. Sex Codes and Family Life Among Poor Inner-City Youths Elijah Anderson 5. Risking Paternity: Sex and Contraception Among Adolescent Males Freya L. Sonenstein, Joseph H. Pleck, and Leighton C. Ku 6. When and Why Fathers Matter: Impacts of Father Involvement on the Children of Adolescent Mothers Frank F. Furstenberg, Jr. and Kathleen Mullan Harris Part II: Rights and Obligations 7. Legal Rights and Obligations: An Uneven Evolution Ruth-Arlene W. Howe 8. Ethical Dimensions of Young Unwed Fatherhood George W. Harris Part III: Policies and Programs 9. Creating Federal Leadership in Research and Policy Development Linda Mellgren 10. Paternity Actions and Young Fathers Esther Wattenberg 11. The Problems and Promise of Child Support Policies Sandra K. Daziger, Carolyn K. Kastner, and Terri J. Nickel 12. In-Kind Contributions as Child Support: The Teen Alternative Parenting Program Maureen A. Pirog-Good 13. Involving Unwed Fathers in Adoption Counseling and Teen Pregnancy Programs M. Laurie Leitch, Anne M. Gonzalez, and Theodora J. Ooms 14. The Role of Unwed Fathers in the Abortion Decision Arthur B. Shostak 15. Service Programs to Help Unwed Fathers Joelle Sander 16. Employment Patterns of Unwed Fathers and Public Policy Robert I. Lerman List of Contributors Index