“I found the power of my presence”: Low income and noncustodial fathers’ experiences and insights from parenting young children through the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic introduced new challenges for families and communities worldwide and profoundly affected family relationship, roles, and routines. This study aimed to better understand the specific experiences of low-income and noncustodial fathers – a group of parents often marginalized or overlooked in both research and practice – parenting infants, toddlers, and young children during the pandemic. Focus groups were conducted with 38 fathers who lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. The majority identified as Black or African American, reported annual household income below $50,000, and had children living outside of their household. Focus group discussions explored experiences related to parenting and co-parenting, father-child relationships, and involvement in childcare during the pandemic. We conducted thematic data analysis, drawing on principles of grounded theory. Three central themes were identified: the pandemic as a time of discovery about oneself as a parent, about one’s child(ren), and about father-child relationship(s); the complexity of sharing parenting across multiple households; and the importance of a variety of internal and external parenting resources. Findings demonstrate the depth of fathers’ commitment to and engagement in parenting, and underscore the importance of a broad, family-based approach to child and family services and the inclusion of fathers as key caregivers even when they are not romantically partnered with their children’s mother or living full-time in the same home as their children.