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The Prenatal Fathering Project

The Prenatal Fathering Project. Meeting the Needs of Fathers in Prenatal Classes. Agenda. Research – What we know Fathering Revelations Prenatal Classes Fathering Project Fathering Successes New Directions. What We Know About Family Life:. Family transitions involve stress

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The Prenatal Fathering Project

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  1. The Prenatal Fathering Project Meeting the Needs of Fathers in Prenatal Classes

  2. Agenda • Research – What we know • Fathering Revelations • Prenatal Classes • Fathering Project • Fathering Successes • New Directions

  3. What We Know About Family Life: • Family transitions involve stress • Couple satisfaction decreases after childbirth • Incidence of family violence estimated to be 4 - 8% during pregnancy • Highest rates of separation/divorceoccur from one to five years after marriage

  4. What We Know About Parents: • Parents know that the first years after birth are very important • New parents lack knowledge of basic child development • Parents lack confidence in their parenting skills • More than 1 in 3 parents have “ineffective or punitive” parenting styles

  5. What We Know About Women: Women seek greater support from their partners and report: • increased dissatisfaction with husband’s contribution to the parenting role • increased stress around not having enough time to themselves • higher levels of depressive symptoms than men. (Invest in Kids)

  6. Determinants of Healthy Child Development • Parenting skills • Cohesiveness of family unit • Mental health of mother • Extent to which parents engage with their children Fathers have a major influence on all of these factors! (National Longitudinal Study of Children and Youth, Canada, 2002)

  7. The Reality of Fathering Men highly motivated to support families and be excellent parents But men are… Less prepared for parenthood than women AND Less likely to seek help

  8. Fathering Revelations • The prenatal period is when expectant fathers are most receptive to learning • If fathers do not get basic parent information before the baby is born, they are less likely to do so later

  9. Peel Public Health Prenatal Classes • Largest provider of free prenatal classes in Region • Over 1000 pregnant women participating in classes • Almost all accompanied by the father • Approximately 6-8 weeks in duration • Content: pregnancy to parenting

  10. However, in Prenatal Classes… Very little content addressing unique needs of fathers: • Classes are led by a Public Health Nurse who is often a woman • Primary emphasis - women as mothers to be • Often focused on labor and delivery • Family adjustment issues covered briefly

  11. Fathers Participation in Prenatal Class Fathers do not tend to speak up in prenatal classes They may believe that: • Their role is one of emotional support • Having children is a “woman’s job”

  12. Fathering Project Partnerships • Family Services of Peel • Peel Public Health • Clarica • Government of Ontario: Ministry of Community and Social Services, Challenge Fund

  13. Fathering Project Intended Audience New Fathers New Fathering Component Existing Prenatal Program

  14. Goals of Fathering Project • To engage men as primary nurturers of their babies • To normalize and validate men’s commitment to fathering

  15. Objectives of Fathering Project • To strengthen attachment between father and baby • To help fathers recognize and respond to expectant mother’s needs • To reduce anxiety and increase communication within the couple • To assist mothers to facilitate father involvement • To reduce family violence and destructive forms of conflict

  16. The Process • Fathering Content • Developed by John MacMillan (Project Manager for Family Services of Peel) • Male facilitators recruited and trained by John • Fathering class added to existing prenatal program

  17. Content of Fathering Component • The importance of fathers in a child’s development • How a father can assist infant development • Fathering roles • How to get started • Caring for yourself and your family

  18. Project Findings Participant fathers felt: • Anxious/scared • Excited • Increased responsibility • Unprepared for what to expect • Unsure about their parental role (i.e. what they could do)

  19. Project Findings Participant fathers concluded that: • They wanted to know what to expect as a new father • They required more information and resources about their new role and increased responsibility

  20. Project Revelations • Men more actively shared with other expectant dads when partners were not present • Men felt engaged as primary nurturers to their babies

  21. The Continuing Project • Early Years Challenge Fund Grant (2003) • Fathering sessions facilitated by recruited and trained fathers • 20 fathering sessions in year one • 30 fathering sessions in year two • 40 fathering sessions in year three

  22. Fathering Successes • First Year’s Target Achieved • 21 Fathering Classes completed • 236 participants • Training of Fathering Facilitators • 6 trained facilitators as of 2005 • Addition of Teen Fathering class

  23. Fathering Successes Cont’d • Positive Evaluations • 90% rated sessions as very good to excellent • Fathers want to be very involved • Fathers wish for longer/more sessions

  24. Fathering Successes Cont’d Benefits of Fathering Component • Increased awareness of importance of fathering role • “How important my experience will be on the development of my child. Very good idea to have the male perspective of fatherhood.” • Increased communication between parents • “There is no right/wrong way, we must communicate to each other on how we would like to raise our child.”

  25. Fathering Successes Cont’d Benefits of Fathering Component • Increased awareness by fathers of need for emotional support of mother in baby’s interest • “We learned to respect each other. Hold your baby a lot and spend quality time. Share tasks with mother. Afterwards offer mom’s a lot of affection.” • Anticipated greater participation by dads in postnatal community activities and earlier access to help should problems arise

  26. Fathering Successes Cont’d • Development of Fathering Resource • 24 Hour Cribside Assistance: The New Baby Manual for Dads

  27. New Directions • Development of postpartum information for fathers including materials focused on: • Coping with family changes after the baby arrives • Expectations vs. realities of fathering • Postpartum reunion class • Continue to expand core program

  28. QUESTIONS or COMMENTS?

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