The Fatherhood Institute and MenCare are launching a package of resources called “Bringing Fathers In” to mark International Men’s Day (November 19), Universal Children’s Day (November 20) and International Day to Eradicate Violence Against Women/White Ribbon Day (November 25).
“Bringing Fathers In“ is designed to help professionals from a range of disciplines embrace and build on dads’ vital role in improving children’s outcomes.
The resources include fact sheets on how fathers can best support their children’s early learning, improve maternal and infant health, and reduce violence in their children’s lives, along with 10 research summaries and evidence-based best practice advice.
A strong body of international research suggests that positively involved fathers can have a huge impact on their children in all sorts of ways, contributing towards:
- better friendships with better-adjusted children
- fewer behavior problems
- lower criminality and substance abuse
- higher educational achievement
- greater capacity for empathy
- higher self-esteem and life-satisfaction
Fatherhood Institute joint chief executive Adrienne Burgess, who led the resources’ development, said efforts to improve children’s outcomes can be boosted significantly by harnessing father-involvement:
“Fathers’ impact on health, education and other aspects of wellbeing is enormous, across countries and cultures. Whether a mother has a professionally-attended childbirth, a child’s likelihood of being vaccinated and of making good progress in language development, can depend hugely on fathers’ attitudes and behavior. By working creatively with men we can harness ‘dad power’ for the good of everyone.”
Gary Barker, International Director of Equimundo, which co-coordinates the MenCare global fatherhood initiative, added:
“There is a slow but very real revolution going on in many parts of the world in terms of men’s participation as involved fathers. These resources are a tremendous asset to the program staff and governments around the world who are working to make equitable caregiving and father involvement a universal reality.”
The Fatherhood Institute and MenCare will be promoting three “Bringing Fathers In” fact sheets in support of the following awareness days:
- International Men’s Day – November 19: Support children’s early learning
- Universal Children’s Day – November 20: Improve maternal and infant health
- International Day to Eradicate Violence Against Women (White Ribbon Day) – November 25: Reduce violence in children’s lives
Read more about why it’s time to “Bring Fathers In” here.
For more information, see the original blog post on www.fatherhoodinstitute.org.