Daddy Dearest? Active fatherhood and public policy

Article

This report make practical and positive suggestions on how public services can be reoriented to promote active fatherhood.

Fatherhood matters. Fathers can improve the life chances of their children. They can improve the circumstances and experiences of mothers. And being a father can enhance the wellbeing of men. For all these reasons, fatherhood is a direct and appropriate concern of public policy.

As women's participation in the paid labour market has increased and family structures have changed, fatherhood has gained momentum as a political issue. Daddy Dearest? makes the case for reassessing public policy in relation to fatherhood, bringing together expert authors in the field.

Among the issues examined are:

  • barriers in the workplace and in families to more active fatherhood
  • parents' relationships and outcomes for children
  • fathers' changing aspirations and expectations
  • the changing structure of care within families.

Related items

  1. An older man with a walking stick is sitting on a sofa having his temperature taken with a thermometer in his ear by a female nurse in uniform

    This time must be different: Overcoming barriers to social care reform

    Adult social care services across England are struggling to keep up with increased demand, let alone improve. But failure is not an option.
  2. Queen Square Bus Station on Hood Street in Liverpool city centre

    En route to renewal: Delivering better, greener buses

    Good buses drive a strong economy, healthy environment and thriving society. 
  3. Townhouses beside the railway on the viaduct with a running train in Durham, UK

    On track to prosperity: Great Northern Rail

    It’s time the North saw real change for better transport, delivering prosperity and better lives: a long-term plan for Great Northern Rail