Fatherhood: Parenting Programmes and Policy. A Critical Review of Best Practice

The purpose of this publication is to review policies and programmes that promote or facilitate the involvement of fathers and father-figures from the pre-natal period through the first eight years of their children’s lives; and to establish evidence of these programmes’ potential to impact on Family violence, child abuse or children’s health or learning outcomes. Twenty case studies primarily from the Global North with some from the Global South are presented, plus a catalogue of additional projects and discussion of key issues. While there were numerous challenges in developing this review, valuable insights have emerged. The paper concludes with recommendations for future research, policy and programme design and evaluation. It also draws attention to ways in which best practice in programme areas in the Global South which have successfully addressed men and fathers (e.g. HIV prevention, women’s economic empowerment and maternal and child health) may be transferred to interventions more directly related to parenting.