Sunday was the day we set aside to honor our fathers.

Fatherhood is seen differently today than in generations past. These days, many fathers take their roles very seriously, choosing to be directly involved in the raising of their children — and this is a very good thing.

According to the National Fatherhood Initiative, a study examining father involvement with 134 children of adolescent mothers over the first 10 years of life, researchers found that father-child contact was associated with better socio-emotional and academic functioning. Father involvement in schools is associated with a higher likelihood of their children getting mostly A’s in school. The results indicated that children with more involved fathers experienced fewer behavioral problems and scored higher on reading achievement.

The opposite trends were noted in children whose fathers were absent. Fatherlessness is a greater predictor than poverty for negative outcomes in children.

The initiative notes that, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 24 million children in America — one out of every three children in the United States — now live in homes where their biological father is absent.

According to the National Fatherhood Initiative, a child who grows up in a father-absent home is:

While those statistics are grim, they are not set in stone, and children who don’t live with their fathers are not automatically doomed. Many non-custodial fathers continue to be involved in their children’s lives to a great degree, and programs such as Big Brothers Big Sisters aim to mentor children who need positive role models in their lives.

Other people — relatives, neighbors, friends — often help fill the gap as well. Of course, it’s important to evaluate and monitor those relationships to make sure people are involved in children’s lives for the right reasons.

In addition, many good men step into children’s lives — and their hearts — as loving stepfathers.

A country western song, “He Didn’t Have to Be,” by Brad Paisley pays tribute to those fathers:

“Lookin’ back, all I can say

About the things he did for me

Is I hope I’m at least half the dad

That he didn’t have to be.”

So, our hats are off to you fathers — all those men who make a positive difference in children’s lives.