A Population Based Examination of the Characteristics and Maltreatment History of the Fathers of Babies Born to Adolescent Mothers

Background/Purpose: Over the last few decades increasing attention has been paid to adolescent childbearing. Demographic, sociodemographic, and environmental characteristics are well documented, both in terms of individual characteristics and outcomes for mother and child. However, very little of this attention has focused on the boys and men who have fathered children with these adolescent mothers. This population-level descriptive study examines the demographic and Child Protective Service (CPS) characteristics of the fathers of babies born to adolescent mothers.

Methods: California vital birth records were used to identify both the mother and the father of babies born to mothers aged 12 to 19. This 2010 extract was linked to Child Protective Service records to determine paternal and maternal history of child welfare involvement. Variables of interest were fathers’ age at birth of the child and mother and father’s history of CPS involvement.  

 

Results: In 2010, a total of 465,102 birth records with established paternity were identified. Results indicate that approximately 80% of adolescent mothers had a father listed on the birth certificate, 40% had a history of at least one CPS allegation and 10% had a history of foster care. Of the fathers listed on the birth certificate, 18% had a history of at least one child abuse allegation. The mean difference in age between mother and father was 2.5 years. However, the difference in age became larger the younger the mother (i.e. For 16-year-old mothers, mean=2 years; for 13-year-old mothers, mean=3.5 years). 

Conclusions/Implications: This population level examination of the fathers of babies born to young mothers in California allows us to identify these fathers and determine the age differences and CPS histories of these men. The findings highlight an opportunity to engage mothers and fathers in services to support healthy parenting to prevent next generation involvement with child protective services.