A comprehensive analysis of the research evidence behind commonly commissioned parenting services, conducted by the Fatherhood Institute, has found that many such programmes are not effective in supporting father-child relationships.

In our new guide, Fathers and Parenting Interventions: What Works?, we critically assess, and highlight gaps in, the evidence behind the most common parenting courses; pull together the latest research on how best to deliver services that work for mothers, fathers and children; and provide tips and strategies on how parenting services could better recruit and engage with fathers. The guide also presents commissioners of parenting services with a 10-point Commissioning Checklist to help them improve children’s wellbeing by ensuring they develop programmes as part of an overall father-inclusive strategy.

Download a free guide summary

You can download a free 8-page commissioning guide which includes the Executive Summary of Fathers and Parenting Interventions: What Works? and the 10-point Commissioning Checklist, from the Related Documents section below. Right-click on the document name and ‘save target as’, to download it to your hard disk.

Order the full report

A downloadable PDF of the full report is available, price £10, via our online shop. You can also order by telephone on 0845 634 1328 or via email.

New training course and audit

Our new training course, Delivering Father-Inclusive Parenting Services, has been developed to support managers and practitioners to create services that build on the evidence presented in the guide. For more details on this course, click here.

We can also audit and make recommendations about your parenting strategies and approaches to commissioning parenting services.

For more details about our training and consultancy, contact Dirk Uitterdijk on 07825 165832 or by email. 

Commissioning Father-Inclusive Parenting Programmes