www.selondondads.org.uk

Dads are taking a much more active role in supporting pregnancy, being active in labour and birth, and sharing the early years of their child.

In addition, a greater number of dads are becoming home dads: being primary carer for their child/ren on a part or full-time basis.

Since 2008 Lewisham NCT's network of dads and homedads (along with dads in Greenwich and surrounding areas) has gone under the name SE London Dads. The dads meet for open houses, outings, nights out, courses and other events - find out more on their website:

www.selondondads.org.uk

Trends in father involvement in the UK (from Fatherhood Institute www.fatherhoodinstitute.org)

• Today 50% of mothers of 9-month-olds are in paid employment (Dex & Ward, 2010) with 70% working earlier than planned because of money concerns (Pykett, 2009) and others motivated by a desire to escape full-time childcare (Miller, 2005).
• Fathers’ involvement in family work (housework as well as childcare) is increasing; and the gap between mothers’ and fathers’ contributions has narrowed (O’Brien & Shemilt, 2003).
• British fathers’ care of infants and young children rose 800% between 1975 and 1997, from 15 minutes to two hours on the average working day – at double the rate of mothers’ (Fisher et al., 1999) despite the fact that over this period fathers’ time spent at work was also increasing (Gray, 2006).
• Among fathers of under-fives, 21% are solely responsible for childcare at some point during the working week (EHRC, 2009b).
• 43% of fathers of school-aged children provide care before/after school (EHRC, 2009b).
• Flexible working options are less available in male-dominated settings (Dex & Ward, 2010)
• Fewer men than women make requests to work flexibly, have their requests granted or are successful when taking their cases to tribunals (Working Families, 2006)
• The grounds on which fathers can take cases to tribunals are different from mothers’ – and less favourable.
• Nevertheless, 26% of men in paid employment have at some point changed their hours or working arrangements to look after someone (mainly children), with 9% giving up work altogether for this purpose (British Social Attitudes Survey, 2002).
• Between 2002-2005 the percentage of new fathers working flexitime to care for infants rose from 11% to 31%, with 29% occasionally working from home for this purpose (Smeaton & Marsh, 2006).
• The gender pay-gap has all but disappeared in low income households (Gershuny, 2009) where automatically designating the father as breadwinner no longer makes obvious economic sense.
• 44% of women now earn as much, or more than, their partners – a percentage that is climbing sharply (National Equality Panel, 2010) and is likely to continue to increase because …
• Young girls/women now outstrip boys/men not only in school graduation participation and results, but also in further education/training .(ONS, 2007) .