Gov. DeSantis touts importance of fathers, pushes pro-family legislation

June 3, 2022 Najuma Wilkinson US 0

FILE - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at Miami's Freedom Tower, on Monday, May 9, 2022. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday, May 26, 2022 signed into a law sweeping property insurance legislation that creates a $2 billion reinsurance fund and rewrites rules on coverage denials and attorney fees, in a move to stabilize rising costs and insurer losses. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier, File)

FILE – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at Miami’s Freedom Tower, on Monday, May 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier, File)

OAN NEWSROOM
UPDATED 7:54 AM PT – Friday, June 3, 2022

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) had a message for fathers as fatherhood awareness month kicked off. He declared society is in dire need of present, engaged and loving fathers.

During an exclusive interview with the podcast “Solving the Fatherless Crisis,” DeSantis said the key to solving social problems in America starts at home. According to DeSantis, more than 18 million children do not have a father figure.

“If every kid in America had a loving father in the home, we would have far fewer things we would have to deal with as a society,” said DeSantis.

Governor DeSantis signs legislation that will provide more than $70 million to support fatherhood. https://t.co/uXDPga790v

— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) April 11, 2022

The governor has three children with his wife Casey. He claimed that building a family changed his perspective on life and opened his eyes to challenges parents face.

“I think meeting my wife really changed my life, based off where I was going,” he stated. “Having the first child is really another one of those life altering experiences. It changes your perspective on life. Your living now to be able to raise these kids right. What I’m doing is trying to make sure we leave them a better world, a better state, a better country.”

At a press conference last April, DeSantis signed groundbreaking legislation, which allocated $70 million to support involved fatherhood in Florida.

“If you look over the last many decades, one of the worst social trends has been the decline of fatherhood,” the governor voiced. “We have a fatherhood crisis in this country. The fact of the matter is when you take kids that do not have a father present during their upbringing, the chances of them dropping out of school, getting involved with trouble with the law and having other issues increases dramatically.”

According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, a loving and nurturing father improves outcomes for children, families and communities. Additionally, studies suggest that children with present fathers are significantly more likely to do well in school, have healthy self-esteem, show empathy and avoid criminal activity.