Supporting Families in the Foundation Years, just published, sets out the Government's commitment to helping families and improving the life chances of under-fives. Involving parents in their children's learning is viewed as crucial, so does this mean a bigger future for sessions specially for fathers in early years settings?
Dads' groups have flourished in recent years. While they now take many forms, the most popular tend to focus on sports, reading and arts and crafts. Often settings choose to set up groups as a way for fathers to spend quality time with their children. This was the thinking behind West Yorkshire's Bateley Sure Start's Saturdads group, which was started in response to the fact that most local toddler groups were for women.
Other nurseries and children's centres, such as Armley Children's Centre in Leeds, have set up fathers' groups to encourage men to become more actively involved in the setting and their children's learning.
One group that is particularly successful is the Pre-School Learning Alliance's cycling club in Lewisham, London. This alternates every month between a bike ride for fathers and their children and a family ride, where mothers are invited too.
Research consistently shows that the active involvement of both parents in a child's life has a lasting, positive impact on a child's learning, emotional security and social development. However, head of research at the Fatherhood Institute, Adrienne Burgess, argues that dads' groups are often more popular with settings than with fathers. Men, she says, can find groups daunting, making it quite a struggle to get them to attend. So, should dads' groups should remain a priority for early years settings?
'Only if there is demand,' says Peter Moss, professor of early childhood provision at the Institute of Education, University of London. 'We have to get away from saying this is what we need. Practitioners have to think for themselves about how they feel about groups. Of course, gender relations and roles need more attention, but the decision to establish a dads' group within a setting depends on many things. It's down to the individual setting.'
FEMINISED WORKFORCE
Being father-inclusive should be a priority for settings, says Ann Langston, director of Early Years Matters consultancy, but a dads' group is not the only way to achieving this.
'One of the problems staff have engaging with men is that most settings have a feminised workforce and so a feminised environment and language are used. Staff often say they need to talk to mum, not dad,' Ms Langston explains. 'It's similar to when a woman goes to buy a car. If they have a man with them, the man is engaged with, much like in a nursery where the woman is more likely to be engaged.'
Ms Burgess agrees that dads are more willing to go to groups if they are initially involved in other ways. 'Practitioners should be thinking about how to change their practice to be more father-inclusive. They (staff) know it's beneficial to get to know the father, to see how a child interacts with him and in case of an emergency. But they aren't confident enough to do something in usual terms of practice and don't feel comfortable engaging with him in normal circumstances. If they invite them to a dads' group, it is safe and more comfortable, as many practitioners believe men feel daunted by a female environment.'
She warns, however, that inviting men to a group might have the effect of making them feel unwelcome at the setting at other times.
David Stevens, manager of the London Early Years Foundation's Angel Community nursery, says this would be his main concern. 'If we were to start a dads' group then we would have to start a mothers' one too, as a group for fathers on its own is in danger of putting too much emphasis on men coming to the nursery rather than treating it as the norm.'
NEEDS AND INTERESTS
Another argument is that dads' groups are more effective when they run properly and meet the fathers' needs and interests. Kate Hayward, assistant director of Pen Green Research Base, says, 'We run several groups to meet the different interests of dads. We have one group that is co-facilitated by dads, a baby massage group for fathers on a Saturday run by a midwife, and a messy play group, which was started by some of the dads who used to attend the massage group when their children were young. Much like women, not all men like doing the same things. Not every man is into sport, and some dads enjoy cookery.'
To achieve this, says Ms Burgess, 'Practitioners need to look for opportunities to get to know dads. One way they could do this is by holding a consultation with dads first, perhaps done as part of registering a child.'
Tim Neville, the PLA's father development officer for Lewisham, whose role it is to engage fathers in children's centres across the borough, says that from his experience, men prefer to go to a group that involves doing something practical or with a purpose.
Food is another attraction, according to child psychotherapist Robin Balbernie. He believes the success of one fathers' group in Bristol is because it provides breakfast, which he says provides a social focus to groups and helps create a relaxed atmosphere.
The way groups are advertised also counts. 'Settings need to make it obvious in the way the group is advertised that they will be organising dad-friendly activities,' says Ms Burgess. 'One of the problems calling a group a dads' group is that it implies a place where dads just sit around and talk, which they don't like doing. It's better to call groups an activity morning/afternoon and not exclude mothers, as dads are more likely then to come along.'
Of course, groups can never suit every male carer. 'It doesn't mean he won't want to be involved, but it might just not be his thing,' says Ms Burgess. But sold well and offering the right activities, groups may become as popular with dads as they are with early years practitioners.
CASE STUDY: DAD
Joe Hague lives in Croydon, London, and has a six-year-old son and another baby on the way. He co-runs the Dad's Time weekend group, operated by the Pre-school Learning Alliance and funded by Sure Start.
'I heard about the Dads' Time group through word of mouth and thought I'd give it a try. Around a dozen dads attend the group, which runs on a Saturday and Sunday for an hour and a half.
'We do a variety of things such as holding dance competitions, visiting soft-play areas, and messy play and we have had someone in to teach us how to sign. A lot of dads that come to the group are out of work, so we organised a job workshop.
'It's nice to be able to hang out in a male environment and speak to people I have things in common with. The group has a really good vibe and is somewhere that I can spend quality time with my son, who likes the fact that he gets to spend time with me as well as other children.'
CASE STUDY: CHILDREN'S CENTRE
Firbank Children's Centre in Lancaster runs two successful male-orientated groups that are open to all parents and carers. Its fortnightly FA football training sessions on a Saturday morning attract nearly 20 fathers.
Also popular is its ten-week Family Links parenting course, run in collaboration with Appletree Children's Centre, also in Lancaster. It is held in the evenings at the setting and is also offered to fathers in prison.
Firbank also holds tri-yearly five-a-side football tournaments for fathers, which, says extended service co-ordinator James Meeks, is an ideal way to engage with male carers and develop the centre's work in a friendly and informal way.
In April, Firbank and Appletree Children's Centres received an excellence award from the county council for their innovative work with fathers, after 22 male carers attended sessions in FA coaching level 1, as well as paediatric first aid, safeguarding children level 1 and the equality and diversity certificate. Mr Meeks says many of these men have gone on to volunteer at their local children's centre or to help coach junior football teams.
Mr Meeks says, 'Our priority is to be very flexible with the groups to ensure that we cater for all interests and that they are accessible to busy working dads and family men, who can't make it to the centre during what are considered normal working hours.
'The overwhelming feedback we've had is that both the Family Links parenting course and the football training sessions have increased both the communication between families and the dads' confidence with their children, which means they want to spend more time with them, and more importantly, better quality time.'
MORE INFORMATION
- Supporting Families in the Foundation Years, www.education.gov.uk/familiesinthe foundationyears
- The Fatherhood Institute advises on father-inclusive practice. Visit www.fatherhoodinstitute.org
- PEAL runs EYFS training, including examining the nature of relationships with parents and how to overcome barriers to involvement. Visit www.peal.org.uk
- St Michael's Fellowship works with local authorities, children's centres, and parents to ensure the best outcomes for children. Visit: www.stmichaelsfellowship.org.uk