Women can play crucual role in engaging fathers in childcare, says research
NEWS RELEASE
7 June 2005
Women can play crucual role in engaging fathers in childcare, says research
Research released today by the Pre-school Learning Alliance examines the extent and nature of father involvement in childcare, as fathers in their own right and as staff and volunteers. The study makes a series of key recommendations to policy makers on how to overcome barriers to the involvement of male carers.
The research, conducted by Tim Kahn, involved questionnaires with early years settings and interviews with fathers and childcare workers/volunteers at a number of early years settings in different parts of the country. The findings suggest that there is acceptance of the importance of the involvement of fathers in early years settings in helping children's emotional and cognitive development. However, barriers to greater involvement remain.
These include:
Female dominated environment
The research indicates that fathers would be more inclined to become involved if the childcare workforce reflected a greater gender balance. Pre-school workers and fathers explained that the predominantly female environment of early years settings acted as a deterrent to father involvement.
Women as ‘gatekeepers'
The research shows that fathers acknowledge that their female partners have a decisive, if not controlling, influence over their role as carers and their involvement with their children. This suggests that mothers frequently act as the ‘gatekeepers' to caring for children and broader involvement with children.
Women acting as gatekeepers can, in certain circumstances, deter men from getting involved as illustrated by some of the focus group evidence. However, women as ‘gatekeepers' can also be a powerful incentive for fathers' involvement, with encouragement or pressure from women having a positive impact.
Findings from the focus groups suggest that, in many cases, fathers were content to see themselves as supporters to their partners — where they have one — who are usually the primary carers and more likely to be involved in early years settings.
Men's role as ‘breadwinner'
28 per cent of fathers suggested the reason for their lack of involvement is work commitments during the week when activities in early years settings take place. As one father said, "My priority is to go out and work."
One answer to this problem would be to arrange sessions specifically targeted at fathers at the weekends, for example on Saturday mornings. While many of the staff/volunteer participants in the focus group interviews felt that this could work effectively, only 4 per cent of the settings said in the questionnaires that they would consider opening at weekends, owing in the main to staffing and premises issues.
Recommendations
The research puts forward a number of recommendations on how settings might be encouraged to involve fathers more and how fathers themselves might be encouraged to become more involved. These include:
- Early years settings should be provided with tips on good practice in getting fathers more involved both as volunteers and staff. This could include having sessions outside normal working hours. Leaflets on this and on ‘what works with fathers' should be produced for childcare workers
- Activities and events should be specifically marketed to ‘fathers', because if they are marketed at ‘parents' there is often an assumption by mothers and fathers that this means ‘mothers'
- Training might be useful for staff in settings on how to involve and engage fathers
- Settings should consult fathers in their local areas about how they would like to be involved. Types of involvement will vary greatly, for example, depending on local levels of male employment
- Fathers are happy to be involved in all types of activity with their children, not just activities like sports days that have traditionally been thought to appeal to them
- Mothers act as gatekeepers and should therefore be asked to encourage fathers to become more involved
- A nationwide campaign should be aimed at targeting men as childcarers of the future to seek to increase the numbers of men working in the profession.
Pilot projects
The charity is using the research to inform its own work. Pilot programmes are testing three models to find out which methods are the most effective in encouraging father involvement. The models aim to address significant barriers to father involvement identified by the research, through improving communication with mothers and fathers, encouraging the development of father-centred activities and encouraging greater discussion of gendered appraisals of parenting.
The report's author, Tim Kahn, Family Learning Development Officer at the Pre-school Learning Alliance said:
"There is a growing awareness of the important role fathers can play in children's learning and development. We conducted this work to inform our own programmes for families and the findings will help us develop policies and practices that are both father and mother friendly"
"In future, programmes and activities need to be developed that are sensitive to local needs and the schedules and interests of male carers, while continuing to ensure the involvement and support of mothers".
Commenting on the findings, Steve Alexander, Chief Executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, said:
"Mum is usually the primary carer in a family, but men and fathers have a vital role to play. If early years settings can find ways of involving fathers more and if we can increase the number of men who work in them, we would see significant benefits both for the children and the families"
"Historically the pre-school playgroup movement played a key role in empowering women. In 2005, the challenge is to create nurturing groups for all parents, mothers and fathers"
"The Pre-school Learning Alliance is putting many of the recommendations in this research into practice. We very much hope that government, local authorities, providers and childcare workers will actively encourage fathers to become more involved in their children's early years settings."
ENDS
For further information please contact:
Andrew Fletcher
Pre-school Learning Alliance
T: 020 7278 9037
Out of hours press calls: 07979 531 130
E: Andrew Fletcher
Notes for Editors:
- The Pre-school Learning Alliance links 15,000 pre-schools and 500,000 young children and their families in England. Established in 1961 and registered as an educational charity, the Alliance is the national dimension of the pre-school movement. The charity is involved in more Sure Start projects than any other organisation and operates a number of Neighbourhood Nurseries. For information about the Pre-school Learning Alliance, visit our website: www.pre-school.org.uk.