Absence of a father due to abandonment, incarceration, a death, military separation, or a biological father may be in the home but is emotionally unavailable (i.e., works long hours, drug or alcohol addict) is the definition of fatherlessness. A key element for emotional development is the continuous sense of being valued and loved; without this, a child may lack the ability to value themselves. Research shows (1) poverty, (2) teenage pregnancy, (3) suicide, (4) criminal activity, (5) drug and alcohol abuse, (6) truancy, (7) psychological disorders --all correlates more strongly with fatherlessness than with any other factor even surpassing race. Fatherless is an urgent social problem that impacts all of us. There have been books and articles written about the issue but what are we really doing about it? It is time that we invest in our youth and create public policy to combat the negative effects associated with growing up in a fatherless home.