Britain’s dads are more actively involved in their children’s lives than ever before. And we know fathers matter hugely to their children. But there’s lots we do not know about today’s fathers, and many different points of view about fatherhood.
The Fatherhood Institute is asking a range of sources – mums, dads, employers, the professionals whose work supports 21st century family life, and others – to share their views on the future of fatherhood. We want honest opinions and real life stories about modern fatherhood, and how children’s relationships with their dads can be better recognised and supported.
Here are some questions we want to find answers to:
Do dads who manage to carve out more time with their kids still feel as if they’re swimming against the tide?
How are mothers affected by fathers being more involved in bringing up their children?
What extra information and support do dads want?
Are mums and dads really ‘programmed’ differently as parents?
How do we want fatherhood to change in the next 10 years?
How are employers affected by the changing roles of fathers and mothers?
Take part in the Big Fatherhood Debate and you can help us get a better sense of what’s changing in family life, and how Government, employers and local services could better support fathers to perform their role.
Start with the current surveys – and watch out for more to come: surveys, online debates, campaigns and issues you tell us you really care about. Sign up here for updates – we’ll tell you about our new discussions, and also about other interesting debates about fatherhood.
We will feed your responses, along with other polling and research evidence, into our first annual State of Fatherhood report, due out in Spring 2010 – and communicate our key findings to Government, the media, academic researchers, employers and public services.
The Fatherhood Institute is the UK’s fatherhood think tank. To find out more visit www.fatherhoodinstitute.org.
Dads and Children's Services
How welcoming are schools, maternity and children's services for fathers, and do they offer useful information and support to dads? Tell us your experiences and share your views.
Dads and Work
How could Britain's workplaces become more supportive of dads' family responsibilities?
