Unmarried, nonresident fathers' involvement with their infants: a risk and resilience perspective.

The authors used a subsample of fathers (n = 652) who participated during the 1-year follow-up of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing study to assess the influence of risk and resilience factors on unmarried, nonresident fathers' involvement with their infants. They examined the additive, multiplicative, and moderating models of risk and resilience in relation to paternal involvement. Fathers' relationship to the child's mother was conceptualized as a risk or resilience factor. Fathers in acquaintance relationships with the mother and fathers who scored higher on the additive risk index were less involved in child care. Fathers who scored higher on the additive resilience index were more involved in child care. There was a multiplicative effect of relationship status and the risk index on fathers' involvement. The findings point to the importance of programs that address risk and resilience conditions affecting nonresident fathers in interaction with the quality of relationships they have with their children's birth mother.