Dr. Jack Westman, Author of “Parent Power: The Key to America’s Prosperity,” Endorses New Book on the Importance of Fathers

Madison, Wisconsin (PRWEB) July 30, 2014

In his new book Do Fathers Matter: What Science Is Telling Us about the Parent We Have OverlookedPaul Raeburn identifies a deeply ingrained assumption that fathers play a marginal role in how their children turn out, a belief enshrined in the dominant focus on early childhood attachment bonding with mothers. The scientific evidence affirms that fathers do matter. In his book Parent Power: The Key to America's Prosperity, Dr. Jack Westman adds that at some point in their lives, half of all children born in the United States will have lived in one-parent homes, mostly without fathers. More than half of them will live in poverty for a time and will continue the cycle of family disadvantage.

In Parent Power Dr. Westman calls attention to the fact that one-third of children and youth in the United States are failing in some aspect of their lives. The United States is at the top of the list of developed nations in child abuse and neglect and the bottom in educational achievement.

Five children die every day from abuse in the United States. Three million referrals are made to child protective services every year.

Parents who raise a productive citizen contribute $1.4 million to our economy. Parents who abuse and/or neglect a child who becomes a criminal or welfare dependent cost our economy $2.8 million. Without concerted action, every American taxpayer will continue to pay for the consequences.

"We can no longer drift with the illusion that our Gross Domestic Product measures our society's wellbeing while our human capital erodes," says Dr. Westman. "As our GDP has risen, child poverty, income inequality, child abuse and neglect, teen suicide, unemployment, wages, health insurance and food stamp coverage, access to affordable housing and homelessness have all grown worse. Our society clings to the illusion that we treasure our children and support parents, especially those who give their children every material advantage. In reality, social policies, the media, the internet and societal norms make the already challenging job of parenthood more difficult."

Parent Power makes it clear: the unpaid career of parenthood is more important for the health of our nation's economy than paid jobs.

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/07/prweb12051370.htm