‘Why young fathers need nurses’ support’

Professor Carmen Clayton, Professor of family and cultural dynamics at Leeds Trinity University, explores the need for nurses and other health professionals to better support young fathers.

When the topic of young parenthood is discussed, often the focus and attention is on mothers rather than fathers.  Historically, young fathers have been dismissed as being disinterested in parenting, however, research has consistently shown that young fathers do want to be involved and can play an extremely important role in the lives of their children, and this should not be dismissed.

Sometimes young parents may find themselves to be in unstable relationships, be without their own home, and facing discrimination from others during their early entry into parenthood. Overcoming such obstacles can be challenging, but when there is young father involvement in the upbringing of children and effective co-parenting strategies are in place, children develop positive outcomes and benefit from both parents.

Young fathers themselves benefit from a sense of belonging and purpose when involved in their children’s lives and fatherhood typically leads to better lifestyle choices and aspirations for them and their children.

Young fathers face many challenges during their parenting journey, due in part to their younger age but also owing to reduced resources and opportunities when compared with older fathers or mothers.

Professionals in care settings can play a pivotal role in supporting young men to be the parents that they wish to be and to help overcome any barriers that come up along the way.

Research has shown that money and time invested in supporting young parents can prevent problems from escalating and enables savings in terms of health, education, social care and welfare costs.  For every £1 invested in young parenthood, it can save the public sector £4 in the long term. But what can professionals do to support and engage with young fathers better?

Our newly released guide ‘Young Fathers: What Works in Practice’ answers this exact question and is based on the accounts of young fathers and professionals themselves on what works.  The guide was developed by Leeds Trinity University and the ‘Dads at their Best’ service (Swindon Borough Council) and is aimed at nurses and other health professionals across a range of settings who support young fathers.

Readers are invited to learn more about young dads, to assess how dad-friendly their services are, and to discover how professionals can involve young fathers better. This includes different support approaches, professional skills, reflecting on professional practice, and reviewing the inclusivity of a setting such as the physical environment and professional culture.

Young dads and service professionals have contributed to the following guidance areas:

1. Getting to know the young father in a genuine way.
2. Having empathy for how the young man may be feeling.
3. Acknowledging the young father’s role and contribution.
4. Active listening during professional conversations.
5. Showing respect – not prejudging or discriminating the young father based on negative portrayals of young fatherhood.
6. Providing opportunities and a safe space for young men to speak and ask questions.
7. Good communication skills and flexibility over communication methods according to the young man’s preferences (such as by telephone, text, or emails).
8. Ensuring that the father’s support needs are central to professional conversations.
9. Being reliable and dependable as a professional – this can be especially important for young fathers who have been let down by others in the past.
10. Being patient – professional relationships and trust can take time to develop and cultivate.

Through real life case studies and practical activities, our practice guide explores these pointers in more detail whilst offering useful advice about working with young fathers.

For example, it offers practical advice on how to speak to young fathers; how to include them in settings; how to make them feel welcome; how to build trust and rapport; how to gather feedback from young fathers as service users and questions to ask yourself as a reflective practitioner working with young men as parents.

For health professionals who complete the training within the practice guide there is a printable certificate that can be displayed in settings to visually highlight professionals’ commitment to young fatherhood and inclusive practice.

We emphasise that an inclusive and empowering professional approach to parenting must start with an understanding of why young fathers matter and the significance of young fatherhood support itself, with professionals reflecting on their own practice and those around them to assess the services that they provide.

When the right support is in place and when provided at the right time, young fathers are known to thrive.  As one young father, Kirk, commented about his positive service experience – “It changed my life”.