DCSF urges fathers to be more active parents
Fathers are being encouraged to play a more active role in parenting by a Government campaign that aims to dispel the myth that they are 'the invisible parent'.
'Think Fathers' was launched by children's minister Beverly Hughes last week at a Family and Parenting Institute conference in London.
The six-month campaign will be run by the Fatherhood Institute and the DCSF to bring together employers, children's services, childcare practitioners and voluntary organisations and improve the way they work with fathers and to provide them with better support.
Ms Hughes told the conference, 'The challenge is to transform the way fathers are treated by public services. The Think Fathers campaign is a fantastic start, and over the coming months I am looking forward to building up a coalition who can help us drive this forward, including Government, the Fatherhood Institute, practitioners and children's services.'
New research by the DCSF, unveiled to coincide with the launch of the campaign, has found that children who grow up without a father figure are more likely to struggle to form relationships and experience mental health problems. It identified barriers to progress as a lack of training and skills among managers and practitioners, an absence of engagement with fathers and a lack of inclusion from children's services.
The Fatherhood Institute has also sent an e-mail briefing to more than 6,000 key decision-makers working for local authorities, children's services and Primary Care Trusts across England, highlighting ways managers can take a lead in engaging fathers more effectively.
Further information: 'How fathers can be better recognised and supported through DCSF policy' is at www.dcsf.gov.uk.
