Fathers (Hansard, 27 January 2004)

§ Baroness Ashton of Upholland

The Government fully recognise the important role that fathers play in raising their children and are working hard to support all fathers in fulfilling their responsibilities. We want parents, especially fathers, to see asking for help and support as a positive step, taken by a responsible parent for the good of their family, not as a sign of weakness or an admission of failure. The Teenage Pregnancy Unit (TPU) has supported the publication of a booklet and set of posters highlighting the support needs of young fathers. The resources draw on research with teenage fathers and aim to raise awareness of health and other support professionals.

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The teenage pregnancy strategy is supporting two projects funded under the Department of Health's Section 64 scheme to assist voluntary organisations. Fathers Direct is developing an antenatal intervention to engage young black fathers. The project, based in King's College Hospital, is linked to the local teenage pregnancy strategy and Sure Start Plus pilot. The results of the project will be available in early 2005. The other project, run by ContinYou, is working with young fathers to develop an intervention to support young dads before and after the birth. We expect organisations to share good practice by disseminating their outcomes nationally. The TPU is working with relevant organisations including the Trust for the Study of Adolescence (TSA) further to develop work with young fathers within local teenage pregnancy strategies.

The department established an Advisory Group on Fathers, to help to shape its policies on involving parents in children's education. This was the first working group specifically on fathers and their importance to children's learning ever to have been set up by government. The outcomes from the group will feed into advice for schools on how best to involve fathers in children's learning and education.

In 2001, the Home Secretary announced funding of £300,000 for a young fathers project led by TSA. TSA is working with five local organisations to work up a model that will demonstrate effective ways of involving and encouraging young men to bond with their children and improve their parenting skills, and this project has been subject to independent research.