‘People are suspicious of us’: a critical examination of father primary carers and English early childhood services

Abstract

Positive father involvement and investment in the early years is of importance for children's later emotional, cognitive and social well‐being. This article critically examines the multiple motivations and barriers experienced by the growing number of father primary carers. The small‐scale research study presented suggests that for a ‘positive culture shift’ towards fathers in the UK to occur, early childhood services need to question the extent to which they are ‘father friendly’. Research suggests that policy initiatives such as a ‘Daddy month’ (found in Canada and most Nordic countries) may encourage much needed attitudinal shifts towards fathers by legitimising their caring activities. Other initiatives that encourage father primary carers in their role may include the recruitment of professional male early childhood workers.

Keywords:

• fathers
• parenting
• inclusion
• England
• men‐in‐childcare

Notes

1. The fathers in this research are variously termed as father primary carers, house husbands or stay‐at‐home‐fathers. These fathers give up or reduce their commitment to paid work and become the main carer of the young children.

2. Launched in 1998, Sure Start is a UK Government initiative, originating with the aim of ‘giving children the best possible start in life’ through improvement of childcare, early education and health and family support (Sure Start 2003). It is based on the US Head Start model.

3. I also recalled that when my son was born there was a male health visitor at the hospital clinic I attended who demonstrated basic issues such as washing and nappy changing. This I found most encouraging and it served to legitimise my caring role. My primary caring was some 10 years ago and subsequently in the UK there has been an enormous proliferation of fathering organisations focused upon fathers (http://www.homedad.org.uk). Despite this, issues of social legitimacy and isolation remain for some, as demonstrated in this research.

4. Sure Start employs Father Development Workers to raise confidence and responsibility amongst fathers and also to improve and influence children's learning (Chawla‐Duggan 2006). Chawla‐Duggan (2006, 95) maintains that ‘there is no evidence indicating strong fatherhood staffing structures within Sure Start programmes in England’. This echoes my own research‐related experience. When contacting five Sure Start Centres in the immediate area, none employed Father Development Workers.