Are we nearly there yet, Dad? Supporting young dads’ journeys through fatherhood

In June 2012, the Family Strategic Partnership convened a group of leading fathers’ organisations and academics to highlight the needs and experiences of young fathers aged 16 to 24 in England, and the joint role of statutory and voluntary services in supporting them. This report illustrates six young fathers’ journeys through service provision, based on the experiences of the young men that the steering group organisations work with. The journeys reveal the blockages that can occur when insufficient support is available, and the opportunities that arise when services respond to young fathers effectively.

The best practice examples in this report emphasise that the most significant change statutory services can make is an attitudinal shift; from focusing solely on the mother and baby to enquiring about the father and what his needs might be. Research has shown time and again that fathers’ engagement with their children, particularly in the early years, significantly improves outcomes for both them and their children. Yet organizations supporting young fathers are often working against a culture where fathers are not valued or even considered by many commissioners and providers. There are key points at which intervention with young fathers in particular is proven to be most effective, for example as soon as they find out about the pregnancy, or while they are still engaged in education. There are also key points at which intervention with young fathers in particular is proven to be most effective, for example in the period immediately following conception or while they are still engaged in education. The family voluntary sector has an important role to play in working with statutory services to raise awareness of young fathers’ needs, and offer referral routes to the additional support that they may require. This report does not seek to place new burdens on statutory services, but looks at how mainstream services can tailor the support they provide, so that it better meets young fathers’ needs. It makes the case for an integrated approach to supporting young dads, with support from different agencies brokered through a lead professional within each local authority area.

 Reproduced with permission from Barnardo's, 2013