Work with fathers and male carers
A
father's involvement in the early years of his child's life will
have a profound impact on the child's later
development.
With parenting still largely seen as primarily the
responsibility of mothers, we want to help fathers take a more
active role.
Fathers and male carers have different needs. So we have
different ways to engage them. Like having more male support staff
on site, and activities available in the evenings and at weekends.
That way it's easier for fathers and male carers to access the
support they need.
Events like fun days and football games have really encouraged
fathers to get involved. But more than this, it's about changing
attitudes. Promoting a more positive and involved role for male
family figures.
Dads' workers
Dads' workers act as role models and encourage take up of all
our services by fathers and male carers. They also run groups
specifically for fathers where men learn to explore empathy and
explain the importance of developing a relationship with their
child.
For some men, the very idea of attending a family support
service is alienating, so a father's only group is an invaluable
route into mainstream services. Men find the groups an important
source of peer support, and some report that it is much easier to
talk within a male-only group.
Evidence
One of our storytelling initiatives saw the following
benefits:
- fathers' confidence, self-esteem and social skills
improved
- better interaction between fathers and their children
- fathers feel able to tackle their children's problems through
stories
- fathers have a better social and support network
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