Nursery World - Pre-schools aim to break down barriers to fathers

A groundbreaking pilot scheme seeking the most effective ways to involve fathers in early years settings has been launched by the Pre-School Learning Alliance. Following on from its research published last week, the Alliance is aiming to address barriers to fathers' involvement by testing three models in 12 member settings across the country.

Following on from its research published last week, the Alliance is aiming to address barriers to fathers' involvement by testing three models in 12 member settings across the country.

The first strand of the research (Nursery World, 17 March) found that the overwhelmingly female childcare workforce is a significant factor that puts off fathers.

The second part of the research, which looked at the views of involved and non-involved fathers, found that many fathers felt ambivalent about being involved in their child's early years setting.

Tim Kahn, family learning development officer and author of the report, said, 'Fathers who live with their young children are now doing one third of the childcare, according to research by Fisher et al (1999). But only a small minority are involved in their child's early years setting.'

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included