Lockdown Fathers: the untold story

News

New guide leads the way on recruitment of men into early years
Our groundbreaking male recruitment guide for the UK early years education sector – available for free to all members of the MITEY (Men In The Early Years) network – is out today (International Men’s Day, 19 November). 

Why we are campaigning for more men in early years education
Right now, just 3% of Britain’s early years staff are men. That figure that has barely changed for the last 20 years, despite huge increases in men’s involvement as hands-on fathers, and better progress towards gender equality in other traditionally female work sectors, like primary school teaching (15% male) and nursing (11%). 

Why we need more focus on dads in the First 1000 Days
The Government’s proposed First 1000 Days strategy should include, as a priority, the provision of detailed guidance to ensure that pre-conception, maternity and post-natal services reach out to, engage with and support expectant and new fathers. 

FI partners with Lancaster University to research men in childcare
Update: Check out the GenderEYE website and Twitter. Only 2% of the UK’s early childhood education workforce (ECE) are male – a figure that has remained stubbornly resistant to change for several decades. 

Training

Creating father-inclusive health and social services: one-day course
The government’s Healthy Child programme says: “The contribution that fathers make to their children’s development, health and wellbeing is important, but services do not do enough to recognise or support them. 

Becoming father-inclusive: a Fatherhood Institute programme of training and supervision across a London borough
The Fatherhood Institute worked with thirteen Children’s Centres across one London borough in 2008 to 9 to help develop their services to become more father-inclusive. 

Case study: Hit the Ground Crawling at St Edmund’s Children’s Centre in Bradford
Staff at St Edmund’s Nursery and Children’s Centre in Bradford undertook Fatherhood Institute training to run Hit The Ground Crawling, a peer based mentoring course for expectant and new fathers.  

Dad Factor INSET training for schools
The Dad Factor is a package of INSET training for schools, family learning and extended school services and the staff who work in these settings including head teachers, teachers, learning assistants, mentors, family learning teams, community education staff, school nurses and counsellors.