226 Annie Devault, Département de travail social et des sciences sociales, Université du Québec en Outaouais; Marie-Pierre Milcent Francine Ouellet, and Isabelle Laurin, Direction de la santé publique de Montréal-Centre; Marika Jauron, [dept], Université du Québec à Montréal; and Carl Lacharité, [dept], Uni- versité du Québec à Trois-Rivières. Dr. Jay Fagan served as Action Editor for this article. Correspondance concerning this article should be addressed to Annie Devault, Département de travail social et des sciences sociales, Université du Québec en Outaouais, C.P. 1250, Succ. Hull, Gatineau, QB J8X 3X7 Canada. Electronic mail: annie.devault@uqo.ca Fathering, Vol. 6, No. 3, Fall 2008, 226-248. © 2008 by the Men’s Studies Press, LLC. http://www.mensstudies.com. All rights reserved. fth.0603.226/$12.00 DOI: 10.3149/fth.0603.226 Life Stories of Young Fathers in Contexts of Vulnerability ANNIE DEVAULT Université du Québec en Outaouais MARIE-PIERRE MILCENT FRANCINE OUELLET ISABELLE LAURIN Direction de la santé publique de Montréal-Centre MARIKA JAURON CARL LACHARITÉ Université du Québec à Montréal Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières In 1984, Belsky identified dimensions that have an influence on parental con- duct: developmental history, personality, marital relations, work, social net- work, and child characteristics. The objectives of this article are to examine Belsky’s model in relation to a sample of 17 young fathers in contexts of vul- nerability and to better understand parenting determinants based on the find- ings of a qualitative study. Two semi-structured interviews were conducted asking these fathers about their individual, professional, and co-parental his- tories and about fathering. The results reveal that despite an unstable individ- ual history, most fathers stay in contact with their children, even after a marital separation. The quality of the relationship with the mother of origin and the support from their children’s mother seem to have an impact on father in- volvement. Keywords: young fathers, vulnerability, marital separation, father involvement The past decades have displayed a growing understanding of the various types of father involvement and of the conditions that support the active involvement of fathers with their children (Lamb & Tamis-Lemonda, 2003). Researchers have examined fa- thers in a variety of contexts (e.g.., adolescent, single-parent, and divorced fathers) and they have studied methods of intervention that facilitate the participation of fathers in