Parental involvement is not just for mums
By Anne Longfield
Children & Young People Now
20 February 2008
Ensuring that fathers play an active role in family life is essential to children's wellbeing. Their involvement can make a big difference to a child's attainment and development. Yet too often in policymaking parenthood equates to motherhood and services are very female-orientated.
Substantial barriers exist that prevent many fathers from playing a full caring role. For a start, men in the UK work the longest hours in Europe, which combined with the gender pay gap, means that for many couples there is little incentive for dad to play a more active domestic role. Men also do not necessarily want to...