Support and include dads 

Canadian fathers care about their fatherhood role and want to be involved, supportive parents. Here are easy tips to support and include fathers in programming.

To increase positive father involvement fathers need to feel they have:

• the skills and confidence to engage with their children
• the ability to balance home and work responsibilities
• the financial and social resources needed to provide a caring, stable home

10 ways to help you connect with and support dads in your community

1. Welcome fathers into programs and facilities and make them feel included important, and valuable to the parenting process
2. Ask dads what they want from parenting, what roles they play in the family, and the challenges they face
3. Ensure resources are readily available for dads and communicate these resources directly to dads
4. Encourage mothers to support positive father involvement
5. Focus on the strengths fathers bring to parenting
6. Include fathers in home visiting program
7. Promote father-friendly practices in existing spaces and programs. Offer activities dads can do with their kids, visual representation of fathers involved in parenting, and share stories of involved father
8. a. Offer flexible, father-focussed programming that takes place in communities as well as online
   b. Make programs for men, led by men, that teach parenting skills
9. Develop programs for special populations of fathers, including:
   • Fathers who use drugs
   • Indigenous Fathers
   • Immigrant Fathers
   • Incarcerated Fathers
   • Single and Divorced Fathers
10. a. Include fatherhood issues in tools and resources you develop
    b. Promote credible websites dedicated to supporting fatherhood skill development

Sources

• Pleck, J. H., « Paternal involvement: revised conceptualization and theoretical linkages with child outcomes », in Lamb M.E. dir.,The role of the father in child development, Hoboken, N.-J., John Wiley & Sons, 2010. p. 58-93.
• Goldberg, J.S., « Identity and involvement among resident and nonresident fathers », Journal of Family Issues, vol. 36, no 7, juin 2015, p. 852-79. DOI: 10.1177/0192513X13500963
• Hawkins, A. J., Lovejoy, K. R., Holmes, E. K., Blanchard, V. L,, Fawcett, E. « Increasing fathers' involvement in child care with a couple-focused intervention during the transition to Parenthood. family relations », Family Relations, vol. 57, no 1, janv. 2008, p. :49-59. DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-3729.2007.00482.x
• Ancell, K. S., Bruns, D. A., Chitiyo, J., « The importance of father involvement in early childhood programs », Young Exceptional Children, vol. 21 no 1, mars 2018,:p. 23-33. DOI : 10.1177/1096250615621355
• Lechowitz, M. E., Jiang, Y., Tully, L. A., Burn, M. T,, Collins, D. A., Hawes, D. J., « Enhancing father engagement in parenting programs: translating research into practice recommendations », Australian Psychologist, vol. 54, no 2, août 2019, p. 83-89. DOI : 10.1111/ap.12361x