European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 20, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Bung & unwed new focus on the fathers by Samuel g. Freedman new York times t was the regular monday night Mealing of what is known astr e Young fathers program a film on birth control was cued and a round of introductions was about to begin in ils measured Way. This was new York City s attempt to Deal with the one participant often absent from the National debate about illegitimate children the father. I have tout kids two boys two girls said Elrahm Santiago i m 22 years  i have two stepdaughters said George Rivera who is 25. And a social worker prodded him. And one of my own on the Way Rivera added. I m 22 and i got a daughter two years old said Victor Linzy. I got four said Prince Williams. Four three two and no. Wait. Four two. One and seven  he smiled shyly at the mistake. I m 23." and so it proceeded around the Small room in a new York Owca. A matter Omac recitation of one of the City s and the nation s most pressing social problems the astronomical increase in Young unwed parents. The percentage o out of Wedlock births in the City has nearly doubled in less than a generation from 21.4 percent of All births in 1970 to 33.9 in 1985. And the rates in poor Black and hispanic neighbourhoods in particular Are thought to be far higher. The statistical evidence has forced a change in attitude turning the discussion of illegitimate births from a political taboo to a rent Burner concern. But in addressing an inner City subculture in which out of Wedlock births were the Rule rather than the exception in which a Greal Many fathers did not support or even acknowledge their children a new Battery of social service programs a entered on the mothers. Fathers in essence were being excluded from the solution to a problem Tiey had helped create. 11 was this realization that led City officials in 1981 to create the Young fathers program. If we were going to have an Impact on the Mother we had to have an Impact on the father said Patricia Dempsey a Hunter College professor who designed the program when she was assistant commissioner of the human resources administration. Based on the services that existed you d think that women got pregnant by other women. We wore pushing the father Oft the scene telling him he s bad letting him off the Hook. And we were denying that he might have a legitimate interest in his  the Young fathers program otters education Job training and placement counselling and discussion. It is operated by two private agencies the Young woman s Christian association and the vocational foundation inc., and financed with $140,000 in City funds. The idea is to give Young men the most Concrete Way to support their children a paycheck and Ihen address the More subjective emotional concepts of fathering. The program remains a Pilot capable of Only Small Victor Lea against the magnitude of Oul of Wedlock births and single Parent families. Still of the 65 Young fathers who entered the program last March 35 found jobs 12 went into raining programs and four married the mothers of their children. Even these achievements came hard. 01 every 100 Young fathers invited to an orientation session most culled from Public Aid Case lists some of them threatened with the toss of welfare if they to not attend Only 10 to 15 show up. And these represent a sell selecting Sample Young fathers who have held jobs who have acknowledged their children who have in Many cases sustained relationships with the mothers a lot of Guys can l Deal with it said Williams who has been in the Young father program Lor a  re scared. Whan thay find out the Girt it pregnant they think of my god i Dun l even want a baby with her before she even Start showing he be gone even a group of relatively motivated unwed lathers can illustrate the complexity of the phenomenon their stories suggest not a failure of moral fiber but rather e welter of social ills that derive irom poverty in which out of Wedlock birth forma Only one element. This is precisely the conclusion drawn by such students of the single Parent family As Daniel p. Moynihan and Eleanor h. Norton. Virtually every Young my in the program grew up in a fatherless Home. Most of them had dropped out of High school alter achieving an average of sixth Grade Reading and mathematics skills. They worked at minimum wage jobs or off the books. Their attitudes about birth control ranged from ignorance to disdain. In families and neighbourhoods with few certainties these Young men saw a Girlfriend As one Island of stability. Even now. They talk in proprietary tones of my girl my lady my wife the Laller even when they Are not married while they May Dally with other women they turn incredulous at the notion their Girlfriend might be unfaithful you want something you can hold on to said Rivera who grew up in a Florida orphanage. Someone you can have a Good time with. Someone you can talk to. Someone to be there just for you because when i grew up. I did t have no  they welcomed tha offspring in part As a bonding Force and in part Lor the Chance to become the father they never had. I got my Girt pregnant on purpose because i did t want  said Richard Holly a 22-year-old irom new York. She caught me Messing around with some other Girts. But i still loved her and i wanted to stay with her. She was counting her Days and one Day she said this is the Day we have to be extra careful and made sure i was t  in practice the demands of supporting and rearing a child strained rather than cemented the ties Between unwed parents. Often the Mother and father lived apart each with their own parents. Money often became a divisive Issue. Mothers who had worked before giving birth generally went on welfare and fathers either found that their menial jobs did not pay enough to support a family or Slid into unemployment. Eric Robinson wet 18 and his Girlfriend 16 when Ihler daughter Crystal was born. He worked in a Candy store then As a file clerk and finally in a Mai room before becoming unemployed. And then the tensions built. Everyone expected too  said Robinson a 21 year old irom new York when i was working i could Only see my daughter on weekends because she was with her grandparents in Queens. It was two hours on the subway. When i lost my Job my Girlfriend s family turned against me because i was t bringing any Money in then my Girlfriend said she did t want to see me no  he Shook his head in disgust and said it s always the father gets warned for not doing enough. Always the father. Never the  Robinson said his Girlfriend has since married another Man. Whom she has borne two children and moved away. The Young fathers program which trained and placed Robinson in a Job As a construction inspector now la helping him seek visitation rights for Crystal. Iii knew Ihen what i know now he said i would be handled things a Tot different. But even alter going through his i Don t regret having my daughter. She s a Blessing. And it tears me up not to see  he paused. See i did t even know my father he said. Seen him a couple of limes. I guess he wanted it thai Way. Bui i m different i want to be around my  on a wednesday morning a few weeks ago la Young father arrived at the Lexington Avenue Owca for their orientation session. Shares Beau the social worker Lor the program began by asking the men what they wanted out of it. The responses came "work,1 ged a  my  that was no Surprise the offer of help in finding a Job or gaining a general equivalency diploma has proven the program s most powerful lure Lor Young Tamer. At the same time most of the men Ruvo limited education an few Tell la and Many treat unemployment be a vacation. Too Many Bjoan Hanauer United press. International Here Are More than a minion in the United states and matrix Eleanor b. Alter says one third Rotthe end of perfectly Good marriage i Arr Oddte an Dupac Ola to alter says and. One thai to Puma Many Lor 20 years Aid Attar a Tentor partner inc Oiin Freund Lewis and Cohen on of Mia. Him in the United stale.  people a week along with current Donl and 1 their torte. " i Winnale about a Tow of Hern m i Paoff Are in terrible marriages marriages mat a that have drug or a Coho " a there to no sex flt ton he children Are Insom theae she Taid another Tifei of  marriage in no  have Taew married Tor 15, a Page 14 the stars and stripes