The National Fatherhood Initiative has released its fifth edition of "Father Facts," a 183-page report on the state of fatherhood in the United States. The book is filled with statistics on divorce and marriage, essays on fatherhood and the effects of fatherless households.

The organization has a creative ad campaign called "Have you been a dad today?" One ad shows a man pushing a tree swing, but instead of a child on the seat, it's a laptop computer. The ad asks: "Who are you spending your quality time with?"

Dads matter, and many are eagerly caring for their children.

Greg Bishop of Irvine, Calif., says connecting with his children came naturally. Bishop, founder of "Boot Camp for New Dads" classes, grew up in a family of 13 and caring for his younger siblings was a given. Today, he is father to four children between the ages of 19 and 26.

"I just love babies," Bishop, 54, says during a telephone interview from his office. "Some guys love dogs. I love babies. I think 18-month-old babies are the most wonderful things on the planet."

But while Bishop knew what he was doing when it came to raising children, he knew there were new dads who needed help. He began "Boot Camp for New Dads" classes 17 years ago. Today, the workshops are held nationally and in London.

Bishop says 160,000 men have been through the classes. Attendance by new dads grows each year, he says. During the early years of the program, only eight or 12 new dads would attend. Today, between 40 to 100 dads come to hear what to expect once baby arrives.

The classes are led by veteran dads. The rookie dads are encouraged to ask questions from men who were once in their shoes.

"In some respects, they don't know what questions to ask," Bishop says. "We ask the veteran dads what are the most important things they have learned."

The class covers such topics as "What kind of father do you want to be?" "Challenges new moms present and how to support her," "Taking care of your baby," "Trouble-shooters guide to crying babies" and "Patience." A short video of the bootcamp experience can be viewed at www.bootcampfornewdads.org.

Perhaps the most practical workshop instruction is how to change a baby's diaper. Bishop says dads who say they won't change diapers are "kind of dumb."

"It might be something they get from their own fathers," he says. "I was always very fast at changing diapers. I did it when I was growing up. It was like cleaning trout. It's not a big deal."

Bishop adds it's important for new moms to encourage their husbands to be hands-on. Criticizing dad for doing it "the wrong way" is "shooting themselves in the foot."

Men who can't find a class can always read Bishop's book "Hit the Ground Crawling" (Dads Adventure, $17.95). It includes tips on baby safety, how to get baby to burp, juggling family, work and personal time and reigniting romance in your relationship.

An excerpt from Bishop's book reads: "People expect new fathers to be clumsy and confused about babies. The notion that men are inherently ignorant and incapable when it comes to babies evaporates the first time you rock your baby to sleep in your arms."

LEARN MORE: www.fatherhood.org