BATON ROUGE — On Wednesday, Gov. Jeff Landry and other officials shared findings from the Louisiana Task Force on Fatherhood Engagement. 

The task force, which was created during the 2025 Louisiana Legislative Session, spent seven months "engaging with hundreds of fathers across the state and with leaders of state agencies that work with fathers, families and children," Landry's office said.

"When fathers are involved in the lives of their children, those children are more likely to graduate high school, enter college, or find a stable job. But Louisiana faces significant challenges, because in more than a third of Louisiana households with children, there's no father present. This absence harms our children and harms our state," Landry said.

During a virtual news conference, key findings were shared, with the group recommending how Louisiana can better support fathers' engagement in their children's lives based on these results. 

Among the recommendations that the task force presented was the establishment of a standing Commission on Fatherhood Engagement, implementing effective fatherhood programming across state agencies, improving the data collection and usage on fathers and fatherhood engagement and the dedication of $2.5 million annually in new funding in the state budget to community-based programs to support fatherhood engagement. 

The task force also recommended that the state improve support for fathers during the perinatal period, as well as establish housing assistance and shelter priorities, specifically for fathers with minor children. 

The group also wants to see improved policies that "ensure fair and equal opportunities for fathers in child custody, visitation and family court proceedings." 

Watch the news conference here: